Oh the Things we could Do
by FirstFandomFangirl
Summary: One morning, an aspiring author wakes up to find herself in the world of her favorite TV show, at the beginning of the season where everything goes downhill. She resolves to fix everything, but that only brings on a load of new problems. Self-insert fic. Rated T for violence and romance.
1. A Strange Dream

**hi guys it's FFF back at it again with writing dumb fanfiction**

 **So, uh, I know I haven't updated TDR in a little while, but no worries, I haven't given up on that. I was just... *flips hair* inspired to write this**

 **Anyway you supported this so don't blame me for it**

* * *

"What a weird dream." Lydia remarked, leaning against the trunk of a fruit tree. "So boring. It's been like an hour, and basically nothing's happened. You'd think that _something_ would happen by now. Dreams are supposed to be exciting! Or at least strange! The only strange thing about this dream is that I'm in the middle of this random field. My subconscious is dumb." She glanced at the tree she leaned on. "Maybe I can climb the tree." Not likely, the trunk was fairly smooth and she was no expert at climbing trees. But maybe that's what she was supposed to do in the dream, so she gave it a shot.

Result: It didn't work. All she managed to do was get her hands all scraped up, which hurt a surprising amount. Ow. Dream pain hurt, but usually not this much. She glared at the tree, wondering why she couldn't just sprout wings. That usually worked once she figured out it was a dream, except in horror dreams. But, now that she considered the possibility, it probably wouldn't happen.

"Shazam!" She said aloud, waving her arms at the tree. Nothing happened. She had no control over this dream whatsoever. Rats. She was starting to get hungry, too, and it looked like there were some nice apples in this tree. As the dream didn't seem to be providing any other source of food, she decided to try again. Apples weren't her favorite kind of food, but she'd eat them.

After an hour of battling with the tree, she finally made it up into the branches, where she found, to her satisfaction, a lot of nice-looking apples. So she climbed up a bit further and settled down in a nook between two branches to eat one. It was a bit sour, but otherwise good.

Then she saw a spider and nearly fell out of the tree.

Luckily, she wasn't completely arachnophobic, so she managed to get out of the tree safely. She grabbed a few more apples on the way down, in case she couldn't get up again or something. At least she had shoes and decent clothes in this dream.

Lydia considered just walking in some direction – there really wasn't much of anything but the tree in that field, which was ringed on three sides by forest – but was hesitant to leave her food source. After a long debate with herself, she eventually decided to go to the open end of the field. Just to see what she could see. Carrying an apple in each hand and one in each pocket, she headed towards the edge of the field, humming,

After about a ten-minute walk through tall grass (thank goodness for jeans), she made it to the edge, which she found was at the top of a hill. Standing at the top gave her a very nice view of another couple fields, then a city. A very large city, with many skyscrapers and spires. The tallest tower had a very familiar shape to it, but she couldn't put her finger on where she'd seen it before, so she settled down on the shorter grass on the top of the hill to eat another apple.

The next few hours were mind-numbingly boring. Dullest dream she'd ever had. At least it was getting dark. That was a change from the bright sun in her face. As the sun set, a blue, holographic image flickered on over the oddly-familiar tower. An even more familiar image. Kind of like a… blue C, with an e inside…

"Borg!" She exclaimed aloud, snapping her fingers. "That's Borg tower! That's Ninjago- New Ninjago city! I'm in Ninjago! Heck yeah. Wait, why hasn't anything happened then? Usually Ninjago dreams I have give me powers or something. Though, with my luck, it's more likely that I'll meet Sonic the Hedgehog than some ninja." She sighed. "Dumb dream. I'll probably forget all this as soon as I wake up anyway, so it doesn't really matter." She took another bite of the apple. "Still sour." She muttered with her mouth full.

So was she actually going to be able to sleep? Would she even get tired? She got hungry, so, probably… but would she be able to sleep? She didn't have any pills. Whatever, something interesting might happen if she stayed awake. Nevertheless, at probably about midnight to one, she fell asleep.

The next day, to her surprise, she woke up on the hill.

"Odd. I'm still here." She muttered to herself, sitting up and stretching. "I even dreamed… in a dream. Unless this is real. But that makes no sense, and I shouldn't get my hopes up." She chided herself. "Does feel oddly realistic for a dream, though. Time appears to be passing at a normal rate, and nothing fantastic has happened. Except, of course. I'm in a random field in the middle of nowhere in a fictional world." Still, at some point she was sure she would wake up at home. Still, something was off about this.

She walked back to the tree to get some more apples, then spent the rest of the day being bored. By that evening, she was almost convinced this was real. What dream would last like 32 hours? She'd give it another day. If she woke up here tomorrow morning, she'd assume this was real.

That had both pros and cons. Mostly cons. Pros, she was in hecking _Ninjago_. Cons, she had no shelter, no source of food or water – apples and their juice worked for now, but once those ran out – no friends, no weapons, nothing. She would have to find shelter, but where? Maybe she could find a homeless shelter in the city, if such a thing even existed. And if she had the nerve to actually go in. Actually… this being real would be pretty bad. It would be a real shame if she died of hunger before even seeing the ninja.

On the other hand, what if this wasn't even the same Ninjago? What if it was some alternate universe? Unlikely, but so was randomly being transported to a fictional world.

After hours of overthinking everything, Lydia finally fell asleep at the base of the tree.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"Toto," Lydia said aloud upon walking up the next morning. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

* * *

 **for the record, this is completely unrealistic. Even if I tried to climb a tree for an hour I would never succeed.**

 **~FFF**


	2. Lacking Social Skills

**So guys I made a mistake**

 **Over the past week, I have binge-watched all of Boku No Hero Acadamia and fallen in love with two of the characters, and I also read a bunch of Avatar: The Last Airbender comics and reignited my love for one of the characters there too. So my mind is kinda elsewhere.**

 **I may actually write a bnha fic, there's a plot bunny that won't leave me alone...**

 **Anyway! Just an update that I'm distracted.**

 **Review replies (as always):**

 **Ebony: That didn't sound too negative actually. xD And thanks! Check the character list. xd**

 **Entity: *dabs***

 **Zena: xd**

 **KittyPaws: Trees. The bane of my existence.**

 **KitKat: Glad you like it!**

 **RandomDragon: Oh trust me, it will be.**

 **Samantha: Oh trust me, it will be.**

 **Draconis: I have this one tree in my front yard with nice low branches that I learned to climb when I was 5. Otherwise not so much.**

* * *

"So," Lydia said to herself, one hand on her chin as she paced back and forth on the top of the hill. "Not a dream, then. As previously stated, that is not a good thing. If my current hypothesis is correct, I am now homeless, and without a good source of food and water. Juice from apples only works so well, after all. I might possibly be able to find a stream, but I would have no way to tell if the water is clean, and could poison myself, only hastening my death.

"On the other hand, I could go into the city, and, uh… I don't know what I would do. Look for some friendly ninjas? No, I'd have a heart attack upon seeing them, so that path also leads to death." She snickered at her own joke. "But I don't know if they even speak english. Or what if I couldn't find them? Wait, when is it? Presumably post-season-7, but… it could be some other time. That wouldn't make sense." She stopped. "Scratch that. None of this makes sense. For the moment, anything goes. Heck, I don't even know if everyone's like, lego people." She started pacing again.

"My survival skills are sketchy at best, so trying to survive in the wilderness is a no-go. My best bet, then, is to go into the city. Unfortunately, that will require… interacting with people. And it might be a while before I find living arrangements and food, so I should bring some apples." She stopped pacing, humming a bit as she looked down at the city. "Looks like a pretty long walk. Maybe, uhh… three, hour hours? Including breaks? How am I gonna carry a bunch of apples?"

She paced and talked to herself for a few minutes longer before coming to a solution, which was to take off her jacket, then button it up and tie the bottom in a knot, leaving her with a bag-like invention with sleeves that she could tie around her waist or throw over her shoulder. After cackling for a while at her own ingenuity, she filled the shirt full of apples (which she checked to make sure they were spider-free) before beginning the walk towards the city.

She was right, it did take a long time. Even longer than she had guessed at her slow pace. She had terrible stamina, so she often stopped for a break. Constantly chattering to herself about various theories probably didn't help anything either.

At last, after hours of walking – the sun was now high in the sky – she made it to the city limits. That meant, of course, more walking. Only this time, there were… distractions. Traffic, large, flashy billboards, and, of course, people. Lots of them. They were not, in fact, lego people, and they did, in fact, speak English. Very loudly. She was yelled at more than once by someone jostling her on a busy sidewalk. She would always give them the cheekiest grin she could muster before quickly moving on.

While they spoke English, their writing was either Chinese or Japanese, or… something in between. Whatever the case, she couldn't read it. So she just wandered aimlessly for hours.

Eventually, she found a park with a statue of a man in it. He had hair that stuck straight up, and a bandana, and no face. Must be Zane. She stared at it for a while. It didn't look as run-down as it probably should, but she wasn't good enough at judging age to tell the time period.

Eventually, she moved on, and wandered for a while longer before taking a path out the opposite side of the city she came in, soon finding a stone staircase that wound up a tall hill. Winding stone staircases were good. Maybe she'd find a monastery or something.

After another half-hour of climbing stairs – which was not an experience she cared to repeat, those stairs were very steep – she made it to the top. She didn't find a Monastery, but she did find a tea shop. Or, rather, a tea shop in progress. Lydia quickly ran behind a tree at the sight of a group of teens dressed in bright colors. She had a pretty good idea of what was going on here.

About 50 feet in front of her was a group of six teenagers, who appeared to be assembling the framework for a building. Off to the side was an old man with a long beard, and a woman with grey hair. Though the teens were dressed in casual clothing and didn't look like she was used to, she could pick them out easily. Kai had tanned skin and spiky hair, though it wasn't as dramatic as his minifigure made him appear. Jay had messy red hair and was loudly cracking jokes, much to the annoyance to everyone else but Zane.

The nindroid was easiest to pick out, since he was entirely made of metal. Cole, dark skin, very muscular, pretty intimidating looking, honestly. Nya, tanned skin like her brother and longer black hair, maybe about shoulder length, which she kept tied back in a ponytail. A good choice, since it was fairly windy. Lydia lamented her own lack of anything she could use to tie her hair back. And, of course, Lloyd, with messy blond hair a bit longer than Jay's.

"Oh heck." She whispered aloud. "Ninjas." Fairly sure they weren't looking, she dashed forwards about 20 feet to a large rock, which she crouched down behind and tried to peek out without them seeing her. They were right there. Right in front of her. She could just step out from behind this rock and talk to them, it would be that easy. Of course, she wouldn't. She was far too shy to initiate a conversation. She would have to find some other way to talk to them.

For a while, she just hid and listened. Their voices weren't what she was used to, so she focused on matching each one to the right person. After a while, she managed to match each one to their owner, even Wu and Misako, who occasionally spoke as well. As for what they were talking about… something about the Tornado of Creation and not using it lightly, like for building a tea shop.

After listening for about fifteen minutes, she lifted her head to watch them some more, but apparently she moved too fast, as Kai looked up at her movement and stared straight at her.

"Hey! He exclaimed, drawing the others' attention. "Who's that?" He pointed at her, and a spike of alarm went through her.

"Snap." Panicking, Lydia jumped to her feet and ran. As she bolted towards the edge of the mountain, listening to the ninja shout and give chase, she realized two things. One, they were ninja, and could easily catch her. Two, she was running towards a cliff. "Crap, crap, crap." She hissed, skidding to a stop. She was caught. Not that she had really done anything wrong, but this was not the way she wanted her first meeting with the ninja to go. She turned around at the edge of the cliff, watching as the five boys stopped about ten feet away, Nya, Wu, and Misako trailing behind.

"Who are you?" Kai demanded. "Why were you spying on us?!" Lydia didn't answer, just stared. Now that they were closer, she could easily recognize their faces. Kai and Jay's scars, Lloyd's bright green eyes and young face, Zane's perfectly symmetrical features, and Cole's… very intimidating glare. Gah.

"Calm down, Kai, it's just a kid." Jay chided him. Lydia blinked.

"As opposed to…?" She gestured to them with both hands. "I'm 16. None of you can be that much older than me." Jay looked a bit taken aback.

"Well-"

"Sorry." Lloyd interrupted. "He didn't mean to offend you. Here, step away from the cliff. I don't want you to fall." He was polite, at least. Lydia glanced over her shoulder at the edge of the cliff a foot away.

"Oh yeah. That is kinda close." She took a couple steps towards them. Kai tensed up a bit as she did – he didn't look like he trusted her very much. "As for who I am and why I'm here, I'm Lydia, and I guess 'cause I need to talk to you."

"Why do you need to talk to us?" Lloyd prodded. She noticed the ninja had spread out a bit, putting themselves between her and any escape route. Good thing they're the good guys.

"'Cause I need help." She said simply. "And you guys are the only people here I can trust." Lloyd glanced at the others, then made some gestured and they relaxed their battle stances.

"What do you need help with?" He asked.

"Well, um, I'm from another dimension." She twisted her hands together, nervous. The original anger from when they had chased her had worn off, and now she was awkward again. "I woke up three days ago in a field a ways that-a-way." She gestured vaguely in the direction of the city, painfully aware that her movements were short and jerky. "At first I assumed it was a dream, but… apparently not. So now I have no home, no shelter, nothing except the clothes on my back and this shirt full of apples." She lifted her makeshift bag a bit. "So I went looking for you guys, since, like I said, you're the only ones I trust." Lloyd rubbed his shoulder.

"Okay. But why did you hide instead of just coming up and talking to us? And why'd you run away?"

"Well, for the first one, it's because I'm shy and I'm bad at initiating conversations. And for the second, imagine for a moment you're an unarmed teenage girl with the barest minimum of formal defensive training, and five fully trained ninja who could do anything from electrocute you to bury you alive start running at you. What's your first reaction?" The blond blinked.

"Run… away?"

"Yep!"

"But you ran first." Jay cut in.

"I panicked."

"Okay." Lloyd stepped back, gesturing towards the Bounty parked a couple hundred feet away. "Come on. We can talk in the Bounty." Lydia followed the group as they headed towards the flying ship, noting Nya joining Lloyd at the front so he could fill her in. That had gone reasonably well. Mission infiltrate-the-ninja was a success.

* * *

 **Social skills: Lacking. Athletic ability: pretty poor. Manipulation ability: Surprisingly high. Blame high salt intake.**

 **~FFF**


	3. Successful Infiltration

**Why does everything feel 10x harder than before**

 **like focusing**

 **Review replies:**

 **Kittypaws: Ayyy, twins! And yes.**

 **KitKat: Seems to be a common problem. xD**

 **Ebony: Yet. The ninja didn't just go "you're nuts" _yet_.**

 **NinjagoMLP: I'm glad!**

 **Bellacatz: Thank you! And the reference is unintentional, and I had no idea it existed until you pointed it out. What was it**

 **RandomDragon: I would take you all with me if I could, it would make talking to the ninja SO much more awkward...**

 **FormerEMObilcipher: Oh, don't worry, Morro and I will definitely meet... ;)**

* * *

"So what's your dimension like?"

"Do you have any idea how you got here?"

"How did you know where to find us?"

"How did you even know we're trustworthy?" Lydia was peppered with questions as she entered the interior of the Bounty, but unfortunately for the ninja she had tuned them all out. She was too busy staring at the ship, the walls, the ceiling, the furnishings, the control panel on the other side of the room, everything. She barely noticed she was even being spoken to until Jay nudged her.

"Hey. Are you listening?" She blinked.

"Oh. Uh, no. Sorry. Guess I tuned you out."

"Oh. Well, do you-"

"Boys, give her a moment." Misako's voice interrupted, and Lydia turned to see the grey-haired woman coming up from behind them. "Sit down, dear." Lloyd's mother gestured to the table and chairs, and Lydia obeyed, sitting down cross-legged on the chair. Her heart still hadn't stopped pounding from the ninja chasing her, apparently the ninja still counted as strangers even though she knew them well. Sort of.

She wasn't sure how to act around them. On the walk over to the Bounty, she had decided it was maybe a month or two before the events of season 5. Everything she had seen so far lined up with canon, so she had no reason to believe it was an alternate timeline or something. That put her in a good spot, considering she knew the future. But she wasn't sure how much she should tell them.

She wasn't sure how they'd take the 'you're a TV show' explanation, so she planned to keep that to herself. She kinda wanted to give off a wary vibe, pretend she was a lot more clueless than she actually was. Or, alternatively, she could claim to be like an oracle, who knew their future.

"…find us if you just randomly appeared here? Hey! Anyone in there?" Lydia blinked, looking up to see the ninja seated at the table, all of them staring at her.

"Oops. I get lost in thought a lot." She grinned awkwardly.

"Okay, are you listening now? 'Cause we kinda have a bunch of questions." Kai raised a scarred eyebrow.

"Yes, I'm listening now. Ask away."

"Great. How-"

"What's your dimension like?" Cole interrupted the fire ninja, who glared at him.

"Well… pretty boring, compared to here. No giant armies of stone men, no snake people, no elemental masters, no flying cars, no giant mechs, nothing."

"Then… what do people do all day?" Cole frowned.

"Mostly fight."

"Wait, if your dimension doesn't have any of that stuff, how do you know we have it?" Kai narrowed his eyes. Lydia blinked. Uhhhh…

"I just do."

"'Just do'? What kind of an answer is that?!"

"Kai, you're not entitled to all my secrets." She folded her arms. He blinked, looking stunned.

"She's right, Kai." Lloyd leaned over and touched his arm. "She's our guest, not our prisoner." The brunette muttered a bit, but didn't argue.

"How did you know where to find us?" Zane asked.

"I didn't. I guessed. I was just wandering around and I stumbled across you." Was her mostly-honest response.

"How'd you know we were trustworthy?" Jay asked, leaning forward in his chair.

"I've seen your pasts and I know your futures." Let's go with oracle.

"Wait- what?" Cole exclaimed, the other ninja making similar sounds of astonishment. "You _know our futures?_ "

"Yes." She managed to keep a straight face. "To an extent."

"How- how far forward do you know?" Lydia thought for a moment.

"Maybe… three years?"

"But- but how?"

"My secret."

"Look, if we're going to help you then you can't be keeping secrets like that!" Kai pushed himself to his feet.

"Why not?" She met his gaze, smirking. "Sensei does it all the time." Wu sat up straighter, staring at her in shock.

"Are you trying to make us suspicious of Sensei?!" Kai demanded, slamming his hands down on the table.

"Of course not. I just couldn't resist teasing him. He has me pretty annoyed, you know."

"Annoyed? Why?"

"I mean, it would be really nice if he told you about an enemy _before_ they came to kill you, or kidnap you," She glanced at Lloyd. "Or whatever, for once." Wu just stared.

"Alright, that's enough! No one talks that way about Sensei!" Kai lit his hands on fire, and Lydia blinked.

"You know, if you attack me, I would actually die."

"Alright, Kai, that's enough." Lloyd stood up too. "She is suspicious, and kinda creepy, but she's right in that if you attack her, you'll kill her. Put the fire away and let's hear her out." Kai glared, but let the fire die. "Now, Lydia, what exactly is it you want from us?"

"Frankly, I want to stay with you." She folded her hands together. "I don't trust anyone else. If you make me leave, I'll starve to death in the wilderness."

"I'm sure we could find someone else to take care of you…" Lloyd trailed off.

"No, I don't trust anyone else. I'm suspicious, I see the worst in everyone."

"Then why trust us?"

"I know your pasts and futures. I know your personalities. I know you won't hurt me." She eyed Kai. "Even you, Kai."

"Oh yeah?" The fire ninja narrowed his eyes.

"Yes." She turned back to Lloyd and waited for his reply.

"I… don't know." The blond rubbed the back of his neck. "Can you give us a minute to talk?"

"Sure. Should I go out on the deck?"

"No, we'll just go in the corner." Lloyd gestured for the other ninja to follow him, and they and Nya followed him over to the far side of the room. Their conversation was mostly in whispers, but she heard Jay exclaim, 'But she could tell us our _future!_ ' at some point. Eventually, the group broke up, and they came back towards her.

"We took a vote." Lloyd announced. "You can stay."

"For now." Kai added ominously. Lydia only grinned.

"I'm guessing you voted against me?"

"He was the only one." Zane confirmed.

"Well, everyone else, thank you. And Kai, you'll warm up to me." The brunette only huffed and walked away.

"You can bunk with Nya," Lloyd continued. "Since we don't have a ton of space on this ship. Nya, you're fine with that, right?" The samurai nodded. "Great." Lydia felt a bit dazed. She was _living_ with the _ninja_. How surreal.

"Hey, would you get in trouble legally if people found out you have a random teenager living with you?" She asked. Lloyd frowned.

"Not sure. But we're the ninja, so…"

"So you're immune to the law?"

"Yeah."

"Not as much as you might think." She smiled a bit.

"What?"

"Nothing. I don't want to spoil that." She stood. "Where is Nya's room?"

"Shouldn't that be something you know, o-great-and-mighty fortune teller?" Kai asked sarcastically.

"I don't know a lot of details. And don't call me 'fortune teller'. I'm not a cheap circus palm-reader, I just happen to know some key points of the future of your world." Lydia glared at him. The fire ninja huffed, then walked over to whisper to Lloyd,

"I don't like the idea of that kid sharing my sister's room."

"Chill out, Kai. You think Nya couldn't beat her easily?" Was the blond's response. "Nya, could you show Lydia to your room?" The samurai nodded, and beckoned Lydia towards a doorway on the other side of the room. The author followed, and the two walked in silence for a little bit.

"You really know our futures?" The water mistress asked at last.

"Like I said, to an extent."

"And our pasts?"

"Some. I don't know a lot of details."

"Do you…" Nya slowed her pace. "Do you know how my parents died?" Lydia halted, staring at her for a few moments.

"Yes." She said at last. "But I don't know if I can tell you."

"What? Why not?"

"That would change the future a _lot_." The brunette began to pace back and forth. "The only effects I can think of would be positive, but it's the unknown negatives that are a danger."

"Why would telling me that have an effect on the future?"

"You're not supposed to know for another two to three years, that's why!" Lydia put a hand up. "Just let me think it over. Ask me again in a week, I'll probably forget." Nya frowned, but sighed.

"Okay. Can I ask you something else?"

"Depends on what it is."

"Do you know… what happens with me and Jay?" Lydia pondered it for a moment.

"Well, I guess I can tell you that." She relented. "In about six months to a year, you start seriously dating." Nya looked surprised.

"Do you know why? I mean, I can't see why I'd become interested in him again."

"He proves himself to you. He sacrifices a lot to protect you."

"Protect me from what?"

"I can't tell you that." Nya sighed.

"Fine."

"But trust me, it's pretty bad."

"Alright." The dark-haired girl started walking again, and they soon arrived at her room. "It's not very big, and it's kinda cluttered, but I think we can cram another bed in here somewhere." Nya said, kicking a pile of scrap metal out of the way. Lydia stopped in the doorway, looking around with wide eyes. She had never seen Nya's room.

The room was messy, clothes scattered around in various places not unlike her own, but instead of papers or toys on the table and desk, there were little machines. Little critters, kindle like hexbugs, ran around in enclosed space in the corner. A lamp next to the bed looked like it was fashioned in the shape of a tree, a dozen tiny bulbs glowing from wire branches. In the corners and under the bed were bits of wire and spare parts, and a dozen unfinished projects sat on the table.

"Impressed?" Lydia blinked, looking up at Nya to see her grinning proudly.

"Uh, yeah. This is amazing. Did you make all this?"

"Yep!"

"Wow. Nya, how old are you?"

"Sixteen." Lydia shook her head.

"You're my age, and I can't do anything _nearly_ on this level." The other girl shrugged.

"It's just my thing. I'm sure you have a thing."

"Yeah, writing." Lydia stopped. "Aw, my readers are gonna kill me."

"Readers?"

"Never mind, I'll explain later. For now, I'm gonna go apologize to Kai."

"Apologize?"

"For provoking him."

"Oh. Fair enough, I guess." Nya lead her back out of the room and towards the main room, chatting with her all the way. Lydia may have gotten off on the wrong foot with the rest of the ninja, and they may not trust her yet, but she knew she had a friend in Nya.

* * *

 ***'you've got a friend in me' plays quietly in the background***

 **I'm highkey obsessed with My Hero Acadamia save me**

 **~FFF**


	4. Maybe Not That Successful

***pokes head out of a manhole* hi I'm not dead**

 **Uhhh, excuses, let me think... well, I got sick, then I got depressed, then I started NaNoWriMo. And by started I mean... haven't yet. But I signed up anyway.**

 **So! I have a whole 'nother chapter of this fic ready, and a Nadakhan oneshot. So I should be updating more regularly now.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Kat: Great!**

 **Kitkat: eheheheh...**

 **Kittypaws: omh same. and Kai is... yeah basically a jerk.**

 **Ebony: Yeah lol. And Morro's going to be livid.**

 **RandomDragon: I'm sure something like that exists! Somewhere!**

 **Jayden: Yep yep yep**

* * *

"Got any 3s?"

"Go fish."

"Shoot. Oh! Hey! I got a 3!" Jay triumphantly waved the card he had just drawn in the air before adding it to his hand. "My turn again! Cole, got any 3s?"

"Go fish."

"Aw. I GOT ANOTHER 3!" Lydia snickered as Kai and Cole groaned loudly, watching as Jay added his match of 3s to his pile. The blue ninja was having a very lucky game so far, he has 4 matches to each of his opponents' 1 each. The ninja and co (+ Lydia) Were sitting out on the stone walkway outside where the tea shop would be soon, Kai, Cole, and Jay playing go-fish, Nya and Zane sawing boards, and Lloyd going over the plans for the building with Wu and Misako.

Lydia was drawing. Nya had found a pencil and some paper for her, and she had been sketching ever since. Drawing felt like the one normal thing she could do here. It kept her from going insane. She already had a few pages of drawings. She had drawn each of the ninja a few times each, trying to adapt the way she usually drew them to the way they actually looked. They were pretty accurate already, so it wasn't hard. She had drawn Kai more times than the rest, with the intent of creeping him out by looking at him so much. It looked like it was working, with all the suspicious looks he was giving her.

"Whacha drawing?" She looked up from her current drawing to see Nya approaching her from behind.

"Probably a couple dozen different people." Lydia finished the arm she was drawing, then grabbed a couple papers from the ground next to her and handed them to Nya, confident she wouldn't recognize any of them.

"Who are all these people?" The water ninja asked, sitting down next to her.

"Well, all those would be characters from a story of mine," She gestures to drawings of the ninja, Morro, and a few OCs. "And that's a character from an anime I like. And that's a character from a cartoon I like. And that's a mutant andromorphic hedgehog with a gun." Nya frowned.

"…why does he have a gun?"

"He has issues."

"Hmm. Who're you drawing now?"

"That anime boy again."

"Why does he have half-black-half-white hair?"

"It's actually half red, I just can't do that because I have a grey pencil. And it's because he has issues."

"Does everyone here have issues?" Lydia frowned, looking over her drawings.

"Well… maybe not that one." She pointed to Jessica. "And that one." She pointed to Nicole. "And that one." She pointed to the drawing of Nya. "Those three maybe. But everyone else has issues."

"And these are characters in a story of yours?"

"Yep!"

"Why do they kinda look like us?" She pointed at the drawings of herself and Kai. Lydia blinked.

"Well… that could be because they are you."

"I thought they were your characters?" Lydia nodded slowly. "But… they're us?" Nod. "So… you write about us?" Nod nod. "Are you some sort of god that controls our reality?" Lydia quickly shook her head.

"No no no. I just write fanfiction of events that have already happened."

"'Fanfiction'?"

"Nevermind, I'll explain later."

"But what…?"

"I'll explain later." Lydia repeated, stacking the papers again and going back to her drawing.

"Fine." Nya was silent as she wrote a possibly-humorous caption below her picture, then started drawing another one. "What is that?"

"What's what?"

"That." She pointed to the writing.

"Uh… the caption? Oh yeah." Lydia snapped her fingers. "I forgot your writing is different here." She wrote 'heck you Kai' under the drawing. "So you can't read that?"

"Not at all."

"Huh. That's weird. Same verbal language, different written language…" The author mused. "Here, write something for me." Lydia offered the pencil and paper to Nya, who scribbled a bunch of Chinese-ish characters on it. "What's it say?"

"It says 'do not put off until tomorrow what can be done today'."

"Huh." Lydia copied it in english. "That is so weird."

"I guess." Nya paused. "Can you teach me how to read it?"

"Oh, I mean… I could try? I don't think I'd be a very good teacher…"

"Well, I already have the speaking part down. How hand can it be?"

"Pretty darn hard." Lydia shook her head. "Like I said, I can try."

"Well, can we start now?"

"Don't see why not." Lydia started to write on a fresh piece of paper, but looked up as Wu called,

"Ninja! Let's get back to work?"

"Oh. I guess that's why not." Nya shrugged, standing.

"Okay. Remind me later." Lydia went back to doodling as the ninja stood and headed back towards the framework of the building.

"Hey you!" Kai's voice made her look up to see him glaring at her with crossed arms. "Wanna come pull your weight?" Lydia blinked.

"As in, help you build?"

"Duh."

"Uh, no. A single one of you is like three times stronger than me. I'd just get in the way. And besides, I'm busy."

"I can fix that." Kai lit his hand on fire, then threw the flame at her papers. Letting out a shriek, Lydia yanked them out of the way.

"What the fffff- what is your _problem?!_ " She demanded. He looked smug.

"Something wrong?"

"You just _threw_ hecking _fire_ at me! You can't just throw fire at people!"

"I didn't throw it at you. I threw it at your drawings."

"Which I worked hard on! How would you like it if you finished your tea shop and then I set it on fire?" Lydia felt tears welling up in her eyes, and the last thing she needed was to cry in front of everyone, so instead she grabbed her pencil and papers, stood up, and stormed off in the direction of the Bounty. She went past it to the edge of the cliff, then sat down on the edge, dangling her feet over the steep drop. It felt oddly satisfying to do overly dangerous things for no good reason. She sat there for a little while, staring blankly at the ground hundreds of feet below. Finally, she heard a voice from behind her.

"Uh- Lydia?" She turned to see Cole standing maybe ten feet behind her, looking alarmed. "Can you… move away from the cliff a little?" Sighing, she scooted back a few feet. After a couple moments, Cole came over and sat down next to her. He was really tall. "I know Kai can be mean, but he's just being protective of his sister." Lydia sniffed.

"Pshh. Like she needs it. Even if I was secretly evil, she could kick my butt anyday. It's Lloyd he should be worried about." She muttered the last part under her breath.

"Well… he's just been through a lot. Which I'm sure you know."

"I _do_ know, but I never guessed he would be such a _jerk!_ " She took a deep breath, trying not to cry.

"He was being kind of a jerk." The black ninja acknowledged.

"He almost set me on _fire._ "

"Well, first of all, he wasn't aiming for you. Secondly,"

"He was kinda aiming for me."

"Whatever. Secondly… he's really not used to not being able to just goof around with his powers. If he shoots fire at any of us, we can easily just dodge or deflect it. You obviously did dodge, but I think he just meant it to be teasing." Lydia was silent for a few moments, staring off into the distance. Finally, she nodded, still trying not to cry.

"I guess."

"He's really a good kid. Just…"

"Hotheaded? Suspicious? Reckless?"

"All of the above?" Cole chuckled, and Lydia cracked a smile, quickly wiping away a tear that had escaped from her eye. "Wait- are you crying?" Shoot.

"That happens sometimes when people almost set you on fire." She muttered. Cole got to his feet.

"I'm going to go talk to Kai. Don't fall off the cliff, okay?" She nodded, then covered her face with her hand to keep him from seeing her cry more as he walked away. Stupid… teenage emotions! She better start being nicer to Kai, otherwise he was going to make her cry again, and that would just be embarrassing.

Wiping the rest of the tears off her face with her sleeve, she grabbed a blank sheet of paper and started drawing Kai again. She had a long time to spend with him, they'd make up eventually. For now, she had to decide exactly what she could risk changing.

* * *

 **me: time to flesh out my character**

 **me: *highlights 32 flaws***

 **me: hmm**

 **me: *highlights one good point***

 **me: whoa let's not get too mary sue there**

 **~FFF**


	5. Changing Things

***inhales***

 ** _YEET_**

 **Review replies:**

 **Ebony: Kai is a little heck. And Nya's heard stranger things. Oh, I'm not going to learn Ninjagian. I'm terrible at learning languages. Maybe a few letters. Later.**

 **NinjagoMLP: Gosh, I wish I were Lydia too. I mean, I am. Just not that one. That's my clone who gets all the fun.**

 **SpitfirewaterNinja: Or Morro. He should save it for Morro.**

 **RandomDragon: Your attention span problems are relatable.**

 **Windy: Things will definitely happen with me and Kai. What things? No one knows. Including me. Oh no I need to plot**

 **Bellacat: *ok hand emoji***

 **Glacier: Thanks! And I'm glad I'm improving!**

* * *

"How am I gonna get back to earth?" Lydia wondered aloud, lying on her back on the floor of Nya's room. "How did I get here in the first place? Did I Just vanish one day? Am I still there, in a coma or something, and only my consciousness is here? Or maybe I'm just a clone of me. Maybe I'm back home, living my life right now, and I just don't know it."

"Are you okay?" Nya asked from where she sat at the desk.

"Rarely." Was Lydia's response before she continued. "Assuming I did just vanish, Mom and Dad will be panicking. Heck, my whole family will be panicking. Will they assume I ran away? Or I was kidnapped? Oh heck, I bet they're gonna read my diaries. I wonder if my friends have noticed I'm missing yet. Maybe Piper and Jayden? Chan's rarely on – or, at least, she hasn't been lately, so she probably hasn't yet. My readers so far have probably assumed I dropped off the map again. My boyfriend will likely have noticed by now, we usually talk at least once a day. Maybe Naomi-"

"You have a boyfriend?" Nya interrupted.

"Yeah, his name's Cam."

"Okay. Are you just rambling to yourself, or are you talking to me?"

"Uh… I guess to myself, but also kinda to you because just talking to myself feels weird." Nya shrugged and turned back to her work. "Zena may have noticed by now too, since we talk a lot." Lydia continued. "And maybe Sean? It's been… five days. Naomi will have likely informed Cam and Zena, and Zena probably has told Chan, and Naomi might have made a post about it to tell my followers. Come to think of it, I doubt they'll think I ran away because my purse will still be there. Gosh I miss my kindle." Lydia sighed, laying one arm over her face. "I don't think they can hack that. The password is so simple it's brilliant. Will the kittens notice I'm gone? I doubt it. But maybe."

"Can I ask a few questions?" Nya asked, turning around in her chair.

"Shoot." Lydia replied without looking up.

"Who are these people you're naming? What's a kindle? You have kittens? And can you tell me what happened to my parents now?" Lydia frowned.

"Okay, uhh… Zena, Jayden, Chan, and Piper are all close friends of mine, Sean is… a friend of uncertain status, Naomi is my older sister, a kindle is a tablet thing, and yeah, I have seven cats, three of which are older, three of which are teenagers, and one of which is like a month or two old. Their names are King, Shadow, Moonbeam, Lloyd, Cole, Zane, and Mocha." Nya blinked.

"Wait. Lloyd, Cole, and Zane?"

"Named after the ninja, yeah. We were _this close,_ " Lydia held up her thumb and index finger an inch apart. "to naming Mocha 'Nya', but Naomi decided it didn't fit her."

"Huh." Nya rested her arms on the back of her chair, apparently forgetting that her last question hadn't been answered. "You've got quite the life back on your world. A boyfriend, friends who love you, a sister-"

"Five sisters, actually, and three brothers." Lydia interrupted. Nya's jaw dropped. "Yeah."

"You have- you have _eight siblings?_ "

"Yeah."

"I- what's that _like?_ "

"Loud." The author said flatly. "And crazy. But better than being lonely.

"Wow." Nya shook her head. "So, about my parents?" Shoot, she didn't forget.

"Well…" Lydia wracked her brain for any reason not to tell her, but came up with nothing. "Oh… fine. They're not dead." She heard a thud, and looked up to see that Nya had fallen off her chair.

"W _hat?!"_

"Not dead." The brunette repeated.

"Wh- where have they been?"

'They were kidnapped by the curator of the museum, Dr. Sanders. He has them imprisoned…" Lydia trailed off, trying to remember. "In the toxic bogs, I think. Also, you're the elemental master of water."

" _What?!_ "

"I figured you'd find our soon enough. You might want to start training now, water will be pretty useful against your next villain."

" _What?_ " Nya looked like she was hyperventilating.

"Nya, chill." She didn't chill. Sighing, Lydia got to her feet, then walked over and dragged her back into the chair. "Nya, this is one reason I didn't want to tell you."

"And the other reasons?"

"Well, Wu didn't tell you you're a water master until Lloyd is possessed."

"Lloyd is _what?!_ "

"Guys?" The door opened a slit, and Lydia turned around to see Lloyd peeking through the slit. "I heard yelling. Are you- whoa, Nya, are you okay?"

"She's fine, I just told her something about the future. Go away." Lydia waved him away, but he opened the door wider.

" _I_ wanna hear something about my future."

"If I tell you something about your future, will you goa way?"

"Uh, I guess."

"She said you were-" Nya started, but Lydia shushed her loudly.

"Don't trust guys with pink hats and eyepatches. Now shoo!" The brunette chased him out, then locked the door.

"Why'd you cut me off?" Nya asked with a frown.

"There's no reason to worry him about that."

"But we should warn him!"

"No, we don't need to. Because I don't plan to let it happen." Nya relaxed a bit.

"You better not. Give me the details."

"First off, you gotta promise not to tell him, or any of the others. It's pretty traumatic for all of them, especially Lloyd."

"Fine. I promise."

"So in-" Lydia paused. "Hang on. I'm gonna check to see if anyone's listening." She hurried back over to the door and unlocked it, poking her head out into the hall and looking both ways. No one. Good. "So in like a month, this nasty ghost guy named Morro attacks and possesses the night watchman at the museum. He then calls you guys and says there was a break-in, and he wants Lloyd to come and check it out.

"But when Lloyd comes, he attacks him and possesses him instead, then comes up to the tea shop and steals Wu's staff. Wu then tells you guys that Morro used to be his student until he realized he couldn't be the green ninja, then got mad and ran off and died. Then he spent forty years in the Cursed Realm before escaping when Garmadon was imprisoned and coming back to get revenge. Follow me so far?" Nya blinked.

"Uhh-"

"Good. So Wu's staff has secret clues on it that lead to the firspinjitzumaster's tomb, which has a magic rock in it that makes portals to other realms. Morro needs this rock because his boss, an ugly squid lady, needs to escape the Cursed Realm so she can curse everything. Still following me?"

"I got like half of that."

"Half is enough! So Morro steals some things, Ronin steals some things, somewhere along the line Cole gets turned into a ghost,"

"A _ghost?_ "

"Shh. At the end, Morro dies, but so does the entire Cursed Realm including Lloyd's dad, so overall kinda bad." Lydia snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah! And you get your true potential. Hey, you know what would be really funny? If you started training with your water powers now, in secret, then when Wu tries to tell you you're a waterbender, you're like 'haha yeah Sensei, I noticed'."

"Wait, 'waterbender'?"

"I mean water master. Ignore that." Lydia paused. "Although, that would require letting Lloyd get kidnapped. So I guess not. Oh well."

"Okay, I didn't get any of that. Can you please start over?"

"No! I'm all out of breath now!" Lydia plopped down on the floor again. "None of that is important anyway. What's important is that we capture Morro when he makes his move instead of letting him possess Lloyd."

"Okay, fine. But why is water important again?"

"Water kills ghosts. Sends them back to the Cursed Realm. Probably for the rest of eternity."

"Well then, why not just kill him?"

"Right before he dies in canon, he-"

"He dies in a cannon?"

"No, no, canon is what would happen if I weren't here. The version I saw happen. He realized he'd been an idiot and gave Sensei the magic rock before falling into the ocean. So he can be redeemed, so we might as well give him a chance. Also, I want to adopt him."

" _What?_ "

"He's had a hard life, okay? Ask Wu. He still likes Morro too. He tries to save him in the end."

"…okay. And… what's your alternate plan?"

"Well, we need deepstone. Deepstone is a rock ghosts can't go through. Vengestone works too, which we'll need as well since he's the master of wind. A pair of vengestone cuffs should be sufficient to capture him. We could either set a trap for him the night he possesses the waterman, or… no, that's a bad idea. He might be stalking the museum beforehand, and would see our plans.

"Our best bet is to bait him into attacking Lloyd – if it turns out like canon then he should stall some, long enough for Lloyd to cuff him. But, ah… he's slippery, it might be good to have a failsafe. Probably we should have the rest of the ninja watching the exists, in case he does manage to possess Lloyd. And… we shouldn't tell Lloyd about it. Because Morro could read his mind if he possessed him. Are you still following me?" Lydia looked up to see Nya staring blankly at her.

"I… kind of? Shouldn't we discuss this with the others?"

"Not yet. Morro won't make his move for some time, there's no need to worry them." Nya frowned.

"That… really just sounds like an excuse not to tell them."

"No seriously. You really think Lloyd wouldn't be worried if we told him there was a crazy, nearly unstoppable ghost who wants to possess him and kill his friends?" Lydia raised an eyebrow.

"…good point. But what about the others?"

"I don't trust them not to tell him. Except maybe Zane. I dunno. Anyway, fortunately for us, Morro's not due to show up for at least a month. When the tea shop's close to completion, I'll tell them. But for now, keep it quiet. Okay?" Nya sighed, but nodded.

"Okay, fine. But what about my parents?"

"Don't go after them quite yet. Or tell Kai. Wait for us to capture Morro, otherwise he could get in the way."

"Alright. Is there anything I can do now to prepare?"

"Practice moving water."

"How do I do that?"

"I dunno. I wonder if Morro can turn invisible…" Lydia muttered to herself. Nya frowned.

"Shouldn't that be something you know?"

"I know ghosts can do it, like, it's a ghost thing, but Cole never figured it out in time to use it against Morro, so I dunno if Morro himself can do it."

"…okay. And if he can?"

"Well, he probably won't. Morro's prideful and he likes everyone seeing what he's going. But it's possible that he would use invisibility to spy on the Bounty… no, then he'd just possess Lloyd in his sleep or something. I doubt he even knows where we are."

"Well, that's good. I still-" Nya was interrupted by a knock on the door, and the girls exchanged glances before Nya got up and opened it.

"What are you all doing here?" She asked in surprise, and Lydia looked over to see all the other ninja gathered in the hallway outside.

"We heard Lydia was telling you about the future!" Jay said cheerfully. Lydia groaned.

"I'm not telling you any of you your futures!"

"You told Lloyd about his future!"

"All I told him was something vague!"

"Tell us something vague!"

"No! Just go away! And…" Lydia paused as she had a thought. "Someone go find Wu for me. I need to talk to him about something serious." The ninja grumbled, but trailed off down the hallway. Lydia sighed, laying one arm over her eyes again. Maybe telling them she knew the future was a bad idea. She wasn't sure how long she could keep it from them. Maybe the best option was to just avoid them as much as possible, until the time came to tell them her plan.

* * *

 **This is 2,000+ words. I didn't have the energy to proofread it.**

 **So... I find myself with actually more time than I need to write fanfiction? So I already have another chapter fully written out? So you can expect another update soon.**

 **Also... my parents are planning another vacation like early December. Yeah, the fourth one this year. xd**

 **~FFF**


	6. Strategy

**Remember what I said about probably being able to update quickly? I spent that time working on my novel instead. Haha oops.**

 **Review replies:**

 **EntityEndDragon: I toyed around with the idea of making me an elemental master? But I decided against it, that's an overused plotline. But I love the fact you're thinking about AUs for an AU. xD**

 **Samantha: Who is it tho**

 **Spitfirewaterninja:** _I_ **know that. Me in the story... it hasn't occurred to her.**

 **Ebony: Haha yes. Don't worry, Morro and I will both get a chance to carry out our plans.**

 **RandomDragon:** _I_ **know the consequences. However, me in the story has decided that the pros outweigh the cons. She doesn't know what I know. *evil laugh***

 **SolderSins: Everything is fishy about this. Don't worry, it will all be explained... later.**

 **Guest: I'm glad you're enjoying it!**

 **Jayden: It gets worse. :)**

* * *

"So," Wu said, leading Lydia into his private dojo and sitting down cross-legged on the floor. "What did you want to talk to me about?" Lydia didn't answer at first, taking a moment to close the door and look around the small room. It had only been a few minutes since her conversation with Nya, as Lloyd had quickly located his uncle and brought him to her. The older man had led her to the other side of the ship, where he promised her the ninja wouldn't listen in.

"First," she started, sitting down on the floor a couple feet in front of him. "I need you to promise not to repeat any of this to the ninja or Misako." She doubted he would have any trouble with that. He was _great_ at not telling people things.

"I promise." He nodded.

"Good. Okay, first of all, the time twins." Wu's eyes immediately widened. "Krux is masquerading as Dr. Sanders, director of the Ninjago City Museum. He wears a fake mustache and glasses. Ray and Maya are imprisoned by him and are being forced to make him weapons and armor. I'm pretty sure they're in the toxic bogs, don't remember exactly. Krux will know. You got all that?" Dumbfounded, Wu gave a single nod.

"How do you…?"

"How do you think? I know your future. Okay, secondly, Morro." If possible, Wu looked even more shocked. "When he left, he died and got stuck in the Cursed Realm. He's out now, and is plotting to possess Lloyd and find your father's tomb to get the Realm Crystal so he can release the Preeminent. Follow me so far?"

"I- Morro's a ghost?"

"Unfortunately."

"And he wants Lloyd?"

"Also unfortunately. Anyway, his plan involves luring Lloyd to the Ninjago Museum, then gloating at him for a bit before possessing him and coming here to steal your staff, 'cause it has a secret message on it. _My_ plan is that we inform the ninja, then Lloyd captures him instead and brings him back here so we can make him good again. Sound good?" Wu just stared at her for a moment.

"I… have questions."

"Shoot."

"Why is Morro doing this?"

"Bitterness, mental instability, a thirst for revenge, and likely some manipulation on the Preeminent's part."

"Who is that? The 'Preeminent'?"

"Giant evil squid monster. She wants to curse everything. And I mean _everything._ "

"Alright. Can Morro really be saved?"

"Debatable. In the future I've seen, he ends up dying, but becoming good right at the end. So[LK1] , I guess there's hope. Besides, wouldn't you rather he becomes good again?"

"If he's endangering Ninjago, perhaps he should just be stopped for g-" Lydia put up a hand to cut him off.

"We're going to save him. Stop talking." Wu raised an eyebrow.

"It sounds as if you care about him as well."

"Aha! You said 'as well'!"

"That's not my point."

"Well, so what if I do?"

"I simply find it interesting, seeing as you've never met him."

"I only met you guys a few days ago, and I liked you before that. Well, most of you."

"Kai?"

"Kai." Lydia rolled her eyes up towards the ceiling. "I mean, I like him, but he doesn't return the sediment."

"I'm sure he'll warm up to you."

"If he doesn't set me on fire first."

"He won't. Going back to Morro, not only have you never met him, but you described him in a fairly negative light."

"'Cause he's evil. I can't deny that. I still like him, though."

"And why is that?"

"I have no idea. Seriously. Okay, one more thing, then I'm going to bed." Wu nodded. "Your brother is still alive. Don't get too flirty with his wife." With that, she stood up and left, leaving him to stare after her in shock. That should leave him with enough to think about for a while. In the meantime, it had been a long day. Time to attempt to sleep.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

The rest of the month passed rather quickly.

Lydia and Nya bonded more over the course of the month, the water ninja taking her shopping a couple of times (one set of clothing only lasts so long) while Lydia taught her to read and supervised her training in her element. They had agreed to keep that ability of hers secret for now. As the tea shop neared completion, Nya could at least move water, though she was too tense to be very good at it. She was, however, excelling at reading English. She memorized the alphabet quickly, as well as the sounds each letter made, and was soon writing simple sentences.

The other ninja gradually became friendlier to her, especially Zane and Cole. Kai was still suspicious of her, but at least he didn't try to set her stuff on fire anymore. Lloyd was plenty friendly towards her, but she kinda shunned him. She didn't mean to be rude, she just didn't want to risk letting something slip.

Unfortunately, the blond interpreted it differently, and he stopped trying to talk to her as much. She was disappointed, but told herself she'd apologize and explain once she told them about Morro. However, he moved first, a few days before she had planned to tell him.

"Lydia?" Lloyd approached her after dinner that day, a hurt expression on his face. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure." She agreed, following him into an empty hallway. She guessed it was about her avoiding him.

"Are you mad at me?" Was the first thing out of his mouth. She was right. "You've been kinda… ignoring me, and brushing me off. I tried to be more friendly to you to make up for Kai being a jerk, but… did I offend you or something?" Lydia sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"No, it's not that. I'm sorry, I have been brushing you off, but it's just because I don't want to get too close to you, because I might let something slip about your future."

"Why would that be so bad?"

"I don't want to worry you."

"Pshh, I'm a ninja. What's so bad that it could worry me?" He let out a nervous chuckle.

"It's… it's pretty bad." Lydia gave him a sad smile. "Look, it won't be important until about a week and a half from now, and I'll tell you my plan to deal with it in a few days. Okay?" Lloyd frowned, but nodded.

"Something really bad is going to happen in a week and a half?"

"Not if my plan works, which I'm sure it will. I have it all under control." She sighed again. "Remember what I said about not wanting to worry you?"

"I kinda get it now." Lloyd rubbed the back of his neck. "Then it's okay. But you won't avoid me like this once you've told us, right?"

"'Course not. I have only good news to tell you after that."

"Good." Lloyd started to turn and walk away, but paused. "Also… Sensei's acted a little colder around my mom lately. Do you know anything about that?" Lydia snickered.

"Oh yeah. I told Wu that since your dad is still alive, he shouldn't be flirting with your mom." Lloyd whirled around to face her.

"My dad's _alive?_ " Lydia blinked.

"I thought you knew that."

"I didn't!"

"Well… yeah, he's alive. He's mostly fine, just chained up. And trapped in the Cursed Realm."

"Can I get him out?"

"Other than cursing yourself? I have no idea." Lydia shrugged. "Now stop asking me things."

"How can I not ask? You know things about my dad!" He sounded surprisingly intense.

"I don't know any more than this. I honestly don't know if there's a way to free him." Lydia lifted a hand to stop his next question. "Look, if the next month or two progress like they normally would, your father will die. I know what I'm doing." Sort of. "Just let me give you the proper information at the proper time, okay?" Lloyd nodded sullenly.

"Fine."

"Lloyd, I want your dad back too. And I _will_ do my best to save him. Just give me time." The blond sighed, then nodded again.

"Okay, I trust you."

"Thank you." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. To her surprise, he blushed and hurried away. That was an odd reaction. Shrugging, Lydia turned and left the hallway, back towards Nya's room for her nightly reading lesson.

* * *

 **I wonder what that was all about**

 **~FFF**


	7. A Plan

**Inspiration is a strange thing.**

 **One night I can write at 3x speed, the next I can barely focus on the paper.  
**

 **Review replies:**

 **Ebony: You just described the plot of this fic (except the 'bring essentials' part...)**

 **Spitfirewaterninja: Lloyd's adorable. And yes. I'll adopt him too (what do you mean he already has a mom)**

 **Zena: But... but why? DETAILS, Zena!**

 **Entity: Ninjagian is the same as english verbally, just the written language is different. And I'm not gonna make any attempt to learn that lol, I'm terrible at learning languages. It gets deeper, just wait.**

 **KitKat: Oh man, I would if I could. We could gang up on Kai!**

 **NinjagoMLP: Poor kid. Has to live around a girl for the first time in his life and he goes and falls in love with her. (Nya doesn't count)**

 **EmoBilCipher: He totally does. And I'm totally gonna reference my fanfictions. Just wait.**

 **RandomDragon: No, long reviews are my JAM. Please send me really long reviews. And I'll just let Nadakhan out myself or something. As for the bribe... I accept bribes in love potions and starbursts.**

* * *

"Alright, ninja!" Lydia yelled, walking around the bounty and banging a pan lid with a spoon. "It's time to discuss a matter of grave importance! Please gather in the cockpit if you want to hear about the future!" She heard shuffling, then hurried footsteps as the ninja headed to their meeting place. The tea shop's construction had been finished a few days ago, and the past couple days had consisted of stocking and organizing the building. By Lydia's estimate, Morro would make his move in three or four days. Time to tell the rest of the ninja. "Wu! Misako! You too!"

After a couple minutes, she came back to find everyone waiting expectantly. "Everyone's here? Good. Now everyone, please, pay close attention, and save your questions until the end. Okay?" They nodded. "Alright, so…" Stupid stage fright. Go away. "In roughly three days, your next villain will show up." There were exclamations of surprise from Misako and the ninja (excluding Nya). "His name is Morro, and he was Sensei's first student-" Six pairs of eyes turned towards Wu. "-who Wu told he might be the green ninja-" More staring. "-and ran away when he discovered he wasn't, dying and getting himself sent to the Cursed Realm. He escaped when Lloyd's dad was banished-" Lloyd turned to her, eyes wide. "-and is now coming to get revenge on Lloyd, who he's never met but hates with a burning passion because he's the green ninja. Any questions?" The room instantly descended into chaos.

"What do you mean 'coming to get revenge on Lloyd'?" Kai challenged her.

"Sensei, why did you never tell us?" Zane asked their Sensei.

"A ghost? Ghosts aren't real!" Cole protested.

"What does he want with me?" Lloyd demanded.

"Why couldn't you tell us this BEFORE THREE DAYS BEFORE IT HAPPENS?!" Jay screamed. Lydia waited for them all to stop yelling before continuing.

"Most of your questions can be answered at the same time, so, here we go. Cole, ghosts are totally real. Lloyd and Kai, Morro currently works for a giant, evil, ugly monster known as the Preeminent. Under her instruction, he is going after a magic rock called the Realm Crystal, which can make portals to other Realms." Probably including Earth. "He needs this to make a portal that will transport the Preeminent here, allowing her to curse everything and everyone. However, the Realm Crystal is in the First Spinjitzu Master's tomb, which is hidden, and also requires one to be able to do Spinjitzu in order to get through the trials inside.

"Morro can't do spinjitzu. So his plan is to possess Lloyd and use his body to do it." Lloyd's eyes shot wide open. "In a couple days, Morro will possess the night watchman at the Ninjago City Museum, then the next day call you guys and ask Lloyd to come and check it out. Ordinarily, Lloyd would go alone, and Morro would get the drop on him, possess him, and then come up here and beat the rest of you up. 'Cause, unfortunately, Lloyd being possessed means the rest of yours' powers don't work." The ninja exchanged glances.

"But I have a better idea. Nya?" The water mistress tossed her a pair of vengestone cuffs. "You're all familiar with vengestone, right?" There were some murmurs of agreement. "Ghosts can't go through vengestone, plus Morro is an elemental master. So when he tries to attack Lloyd, Lloyd just cuffs him and we take him prisoner. Problem solved."

"What element is he?" Misako broke in.

"Wind."

"But…" Lloyd started hesitantly. "What if he possesses me before I can chain him?"

"Well, I do have a backup plan in case you get possessed. But I'm not going to tell you. When a ghost possesses you, they can read your mind. He'd be able to avoid it." Lloyd swallowed.

"Okay…"

"Don't worry, he spends a few minutes floating first. Just don't take your eyes off the waterman. You'll be able to tell when he leaves his body." The blond nodded, looking a bit more confident.

"You didn't answer my question." Jay looked annoyed. "Why didn't you tell us all sooner?"

"There was no reason to. And I felt like it could make some people uneasy."

"It made me rather uneasy." Nya agreed.

"Wait, you knew?" Jay exclaimed.

"Yeah, she told me almost a month ago."

"And you didn't tell any of us?"

"I was sworn to secrecy!" The water ninja defended herself.

"She was." Lydia backed her up. "I had to tell somebody or I'd burst. And I'm pretty sure Nya trusted me the most then. Also, Kai-" She turned to the fire ninja. "I have some good news for you after we capture Morro."

"Why after?" Kai raised an eyebrow.

"Because then you'll be clear to charge off and f- do something about it." The brunette frowned, but didn't protest. "Oh, and one more thing. Lloyd, Morro can't go through your green energy. You can use it to keep him off you." Lloyd nodded. "And, Nya? Show them your powers."

"Her what?!" Kai demanded. In response, Nya lifted her hand towards the glass of water Lydia had brought for that purpose, and lifted the water out of it, swirling it above her head. There were shouts and gasps from the others, and Kai actually stood up in his shock.

"I'm the Master of Water." Nya answered his unspoken question. "I've been practicing since Lydia told me. I'm not very good at it yet, but I can-" Nya was cut off by Kai hugging her tight, making her drop the water with a squeak.

"Sis, that's amazing!" He exclaimed. "I can't believe it! You're an elemental master! All this time!" Nya laughed, hugging him back.

"I'm surprised you're not mad."

"Mad? Why?"

"Because I didn't tell you!"

"Well, Lydia told you not to, so I can understand that. But that's so _cool!_ "

"Not only is it cool," Lydia spoke up. "But water can hurt ghosts, so-"

"-so when we capture Morro, we can torture him for information!" Jay interrupted. Lydia glared daggers at him.

"Jay, you're an idiot."

"What?" He threw his hands up in the air. "Why not?"

"First off, our plan is to try to make him good again. Secondly, _I_ already know everything. So we don't even need to."

"Well, maybe we should torture _you_ for information." Cole kicked the blue ninja in the shin before Lydia had a chance to be offended. "Ow! It was a joke!"

"Not a funny one." Cole scolded him.

"Alright, enough." Wu stood up. "Does everyone understand the plan?" There were general murmurs of assent." Alright. Lloyd, leave the room so Lydia can tell us the backup plan. And please, don't try to listen in. You know how important it is for you to not know this part." Lloyd nodded, then left the room. Once he was gone, everyone turned expectantly to Lydia.

"The backup plan is very simple." She started. "All the rest of the ninja wait by the exits. If Lloyd comes out alone, jump on him and chain him up."

"What if he just couldn't find Morro or something?" Cole asked.

"Better to knock Lloyd down and chain him up than for Morro to go free." Lydia said quietly. "We probably won't have to use it anyway. Lloyd is the green ninja, I'm pretty sure he can kite Morro long enough to cuff him."

"Kite?" Cole echoed.

"It means, like… to avoid his attacks in a fight." Lydia shrugged. "It's a video game word."

"But this isn't a video game. This is real life." Kai said gravely.

"And Lloyd is the best fighter in the world." Lydia folded her arms. "The only way Morro got to him before is because Lloyd had no idea what was coming. Morro's counting on that. But, this time, he won't have a chance." Lydia snapped her fingers. "Wu, where would one get some deepstone armor?" Sensei blinked.

"I… know a provider who may have access to it.

"Get some deepstone armor for Lloyd. Discreet deepstone armor. That way, even if Morro does get an opening to possess him, he won't be able to. And Lloyd will be able to hit him."

"What's deepstone?" Jay broke in.

"A material that's solid to ghosts. He won't be able to go through it to possess Lloyd."

"Well, that's good." Kai looked a little less angry.

"Yes, good. Does everyone understand the backup plan?" Sensei asked. There were nods and murmurs. "Very good. Then, three days from now, we will stop this threat before ever letting it start."

* * *

 **One of these days I swear, I'll update TDR...**

 **Edit: OH CRAP I PASTED IT IN TWICE**

 **~FFF**

 **P.S. Not proofread. Please bear with any mistakes.**


	8. Ambushed

**I was GOING to update TDR next, but... three reviews from a rather insistent reader changed my mind.  
**

 **Also, for anyone who noticed, yeah, I accidently pasted the last one in twice. Oops xd**

 **Review replies:**

 **Entity: Something go wrong? I have no idea why you would think that. My characters' plans always go perfectly. And no one confirmed it, it's just my headcanon.**

 **KitKat: I have no idea why you would suspect that something would go wrong. There's no way it can go wrong. It's a perfect plan.**

 **Spitfirewaterninja: That's how I read it the first time, lol**

 **NinjagoMLP: No she doesn't. She thinks she has everything under control. And it really wasn't her fault. She got randomly teleported there.**

 **Ebony: This is why I need to proofread... There... probably won't be any paradoxes. After all, I/she wasn't in the original season and teleported back in time. She's here for the first time.**

 **RandomDragon: Okay but same. I have hundreds of thousands of words of fanfiction I've never posted. xd And I thought of a place for a random dragon to show up, so you will be making a couple cameos. xd**

 **Guest: One is enough, kid.**

 **Kittypaws: Glad you're enjoying it! xd**

* * *

"Go left! Go for the shortcut!"

"No, you don't have a boost! Keep doing straight!"

"Rocket! Dodge! Dodge!"

"Matthew coming up on your left! Take that turn tight! Don't let him pass you!"

"Drift! DRIFT!"

"Will you all quit backseat driving?" Kai yelled, rapidly pressing buttons on his XStation controller as he frantically tried to keep his spot in first place. All the rest of the ninja + Lydia were gathered around, either on the floor in front of the couch or on it next to Kai. He was playing a very intense online racing game, and he was in the final lap, about to win! Lydia let out a whoop as he sailed through the finish line, and a triumphant fanfare played as the rest of the racers sped through behind him.

"Nice! Three-game win streak!" Nya pointed to his points as they flashed across the screen.

"Let's make it a four-game." Kai grinned as he queued up for another race.

"Ninja! Turn that off! You have more important things to do!" Wu called from the next room. The ninja groaned in unison, but obeyed, Kai shutting down the console. "We've just received a message from the coast guard. The mutant fang-fish has been spotted near a fleet of fishing boats, and they want you to go take them out." Lydia gasped sharply.

"Oh my gosh."

"What? You a fan of giant evil fish?" Jay tilted his head.

"No, no! Today is the day!" Instantly, all eyes were on her. "Morro will be in the museum right now. After you get back, he'll call Lloyd. Now go on! Hurry!" She shooed them out of the room, leaving only Nya. As the brunette began to pace, the water master spoke up.

"Worried?"

"Heck yeah. What if something goes wrong? What if Morro gets wind of our plan? Haha, wind." She snickered. "But seriously. What if my presence makes Morro do something different? What if Lloyd's not prepared? What if he escapes? What if-"

"Wow, you're really good at overthinking things." Nya broke in.

"Oh yeah. It's my specialty." Lydia sighed, stretching. "I dunno, there's just… so much potential for something to go wrong."

"Your plan is great, Lydia." Nya assured her. "You've taken so many precautions, Morro can't do a thing to Lloyd. And I'm sure he has no idea what's coming. I don't see how you being here could affect him." Lydia sighed again, running a hand through her hair.

"I guess. It all depends on Lloyd."

"He's the green ninja. How could he fail?"

"I didn't tell him this, but Morro is his equal in strength and skill." The author said quietly. "Of course, Lloyd has the benefit of the element of surprise. Morro doesn't know he's ready to capture him. And that he can't possess him."

"Like I said. Morro can't do a thing to him." Nya patted her shoulder.

"I guess you're right." Lydia sat down on the couch next to her. "And there's not even a reason to worry right now. They're off fishing. It's when they come back that I need to start to worry."

"I mean, you really don't. I don't see how it could go wrong."

"There are definitely ways it can go wrong."

"But it's very unlikely."

"Okay, okay…"

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

Lloyd wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about being told to willingly walk into a trap.

The green ninja stood at the far side of the museum courtyard in his heavy, deepstone armor, trying to calm his nerves. Inside that building was a murderous man who could possess any object in a second, using it as a weapon. And he wanted him. He couldn't, Lydia had assured him, due to his armor, but he still worried.

The others were nearby somewhere. Lydia had left with them before the phone call came. Something about the backup plan. He didn't know where, but they had to be somewhere close by, right?" Swallowing, Lloyd fingered the cuffs hanging from his belt before steeling his nerves and walking out into the open towards the museum.

Two policemen were standing at the museum entrance, surrounded by police tape. Their eyes widened when they saw him, watching him jump over a strip of police tape in his path.

"Wow, the green ninja!" One exclaimed. "Feel safer already!" Lloyd smiled, then remembered his mask was on and they couldn't see it.

"I got your call there was a break-in?" He said instead.

"The night watchman there was on duty when it happened." The policeman pointed to an elderly man, who was sitting on a bench on the far side of the room with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. "Poor guy is pretty shaken up. Hasn't said a thing." Lloyd took a deep breath, then thanked them and started to walk over. That was the man that wanted him dead. Or, at least, the body he currently inhabited. Lydia said it would be easy to tell when he left him, didn't she? Yeah.

"Can you show me what was stolen?" He said as he got close. The man didn't answer. "Sir?" The man- Morro – looked up, and Lloyd saw hate flashing in his eyes. Abruptly, he stood, grabbing Lloyd's wrist and starting to run down the hall, blanket still clutched around his shoulders. A spike of panic went through him, and he twisted his arm out of Morro's grasp, backing away. Stopping, Morro turned around.

"What's the matter?" He asked, in a very not-old-man voice. "I'm showing you what was stolen."

"Oh. Sorry. Reflexes." Lloyd replied, as innocently as possible. Morro frowned, then started down the hall again.

"Come on." Nervously, the blond followed him down into a back room.

"I was knocked out." Morro started, leading him over to an empty box with sand around it on the floor. "When I woke up, I found that the only thing missing wasn't even something on display. Something called 'The Allied Armor of Azure'." Morro had that. He was wearing it under the blanket.

"I wonder why someone would bypass all these priceless artifacts to steal a dusty old armor plate." Lloyd wondered aloud, not taking his eyes off Morro. The watchman fidgeted.

"I don't know. Maybe it's because they say it can summon allies in times of trouble, whether they be friends, foes… or even-"

"Foes?" Lloyd interrupted. "That makes no sense. They're supposed to be allies, aren't they? It's in the name. 'Allied armor'. A foe wouldn't be an ally." Morro looked uncomfortable.

"I don't know how it works. I'm just a watchman."

"Oh. Of course." Lloyd glanced at the box. The next thing he knew, a piece of wood was flying at his head. "Whoa!" he yelped, ducking under it. Spinning around, he found that Morro now wielded a hammer.

"So Wu chose you to be the _beloved Green Ninja_." He hissed. "Silly old man."

"How do you know Sensei?" Lloyd asked, playing dumb. "And if you have a bone to pick with me, can't we discuss this _without_ weapons?" He didn't want to hurt the watchman if he could help it. Morro's only response was the let out a yell, swinging the hammer at him. Lloyd jumped out of the way, but the resulting tremor caused the stack of boxes behind Morro to topple over on him. There was silence for a moment, then Lloyd cautiously pushed the boxes off of him. He looked like he had been knocked out. Had Morro…?

Suddenly, his eyes flew open, and he let out a snarl. Then the watchman's body shuddered, and Lloyd saw a pale, green silhouette float from his body towards a painting of Master Chen. This was what he had been waiting for. Letting out a yell, Lloyd tackled him, his deepstone armor hitting the ghost and knocking him to the ground.

"What the-" Morro gasped, turning visible as Lloyd fumbled for the chains on his belt. Getting them off, he grabbed Morro by the wrists and cuffed them together.

And just like that, Morro's great plan was over.

* * *

 ***you just got dunked on plays loudly in the background***

 **me: *combines the names for xbox and playstation* fully original game console yessiry**

 **I _told_ you this plan couldn't fail. :)**

 **~FFF**


	9. Even More Lacking Social Skills

**Sorry I didn't update sooner, every time I tried to go and get the papers from my room to type it in I got distracted by cats**

 **Review replies:**

 **Zena: REKT**

 **Spitfirewaterninja: Why would it fail? My plans are great!**

 **Ebony: Yes. Wait, does he need to sign them? I don't think he can read.**

 **Entity: I dunno what you're so worried about. Nothing bad ever happens to my characters.**

 **TechGamer: Who says Lloyd isn't gonna get possessed?**

 **Guest 1: No worries! I guessed it might be something like that.**

 **Guest 2: He'll be fine.**

 **KitKat: Yes it does! It always turns out well! ...in the end!**

 **Jayden: *dabs***

 **NinjagoMLP: Don't hold your breath.**

 **RandomDragon: Now they spend the rest of the story having a quiet and calm life. And yeah, that makes perfect sense. I feel like all the ninja have mental illnesses at this point. (especially in my fics...)**

 **Chan: BEW BEW BEWW**

 **For those that suspected something bad happened with the fang-fish: Nope. It's not that.**

* * *

Lydia tapped her finger on her arm, checking her watch every few minutes as she waited for Lloyd to come out. He'd been in there for a few minutes now. Was he okay? She wasn't sure how long he was supposed to be inside, maybe they were currently fighting.

"I'm sure Lloyd's fine." Nya said from a few feet away, guessing her thoughts. "There's basically no way Morro can possess him, right?"

"Well," Lydia started, "If Morro managed to knock him out, he could remove the armor and possess him then."

"But how likely is that? Lloyd is tough as nails."

"I guess." A few feet away, Jay's communicator buzzed, and he lifted it to his ear.

"Yeah?" A pause. "Great! We're on our way." Lowering it from his ear, he turned to them excitedly. "They've got him! Lloyd just came out the front entrance, and he's got Morro!"

"Awesome! Let's go." Turning around, Lydia hurried over to the ladder that lead down from the roof.

"I told you he'd be fine." Nya called as she started to descend.

"Yeah, yeah." The three of them hurried around to the entrance of the museum, where they found the rest of the ninja with their prisoner. Lydia let out a low whistle at the sight of Morro, who was muscular and handsome despite the fact that he was scowling at the ninja.

"He's hot." She remarked out loud." Nya gave her a weird look.

"Morro?"

"What? He is!" Lydia defended herself as they got close. "How'd it go, Lloyd?" She called once they were in earshot.

"Just fine!" The blond called back. "He acted just like you said he would."

"How did you know I would be there?!" Morro demanded. His voice was hot too. Mmm. Shut up, Lydia, you have a boyfriend. "That was the perfect trap! How did you know?!"

"Oh, Morro," Lydia put her hands on her hips, grinning. "Don't you know that the trapper's trap can trap the trapper?" Morro blinked.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Think about it."

"I told the policemen where the watchman was and to make sure that he was okay." Lloyd spoke up. "As well as a brief explanation of what happened. "And they called a police vehicle so we don't have to drag Morro all the way back to the tea shop.

"How did you know I would be there?!" Morro repeated. "Who told you?!"

"I did." Lydia replied. Morro ignored her.

"And how do you know me? Wu told you, didn't he?!"

"Actually, Sensei's pretty useless when it comes to telling people things." Lydia spoke up again. Again, Morro gave no indication of hearing her. "You- you guys can see me, right? I don't think Morro can see me." She took a few steps closer, waving her hand on front of Morro's face. "Helloooo-" Without warning, Morro spun around, wrenching his chains out of Lloyd's grasp and aiming a roundhouse kick at her head. In a rare display of skill, Lydia ducked underneath it, falling back onto the concrete. Morro's foot hit Lloyd instead, who grabbed it and flipped him onto the ground.

"Wow." Lydia said, climbing to her feet and dusting herself off as Morro groaned. "You know, I'm the only one keeping these guys from murdering you. But, if you prefer…" Morro looked up in alarm as she trailed off.

"N-no, don't!" He yelped.

"Then play nice." She pointed at him threateningly. He didn't answer. Just then, a police van pulled up in front of the museum, and Kai ran over to explain to the men inside what was going on. After a minute, the police invited them to stick Morro in the back of the van, which they did, Lloyd, Nya, and Lydia getting in with him to make sure he didn't try anything while the others flew back to the tea shop on their dragons.

There were benches along each wall in the back of the van, and Lydia and Nya sat on one side while Lloyd and Morro sat on the other. Morro stared at the van floor as it started, looking depressed. Now seemed like a good time to bother him with personal questions.

"So Morro." Lydia started. "Does the Preeminent talk?" Morro looked up at her, frowning.

"What?"

"Does the Preeminent talk?" The brunette repeated. "You must communicate with her somehow, but I really can't see her being able to talk… in that… form." The ghost didn't answer for a few moments before finally replying,

"She talks in peoples' heads."

"Just ghosts, or anyone?"

"I don't know."

"Hmm." Lydia nodded thoughtfully. "Can ghosts go through each other?"

"I… no?"

"What's the Cursed Realm like?"

"If you'd like to visit, I'd be happy to arrange that." Morro snapped.

"No you wouldn't. 'Visit' implies that it's temporary. You wouldn't let me leave if you had your way."

"Whatever! Stop asking me stupid questions!"

"I'll ask you stupid questions all I want."

"Well I don't have to answer them."

"You do if you want to live." Lydia threatened. Morro growled under his breath.

"Is that why you've kept me alive?" He snapped. "For information?"

"Okay, first of all, you're not alive. You're a ghost. Secondly, no. That's not the only reason."

"And what's the other reason?" Lydia hummed.

"I'm not going to tell you." Morro groaned.

"Fine. Then I'm not going to answer you."

"How about we trade? You can ask me a question, and I'll answer it, then I'll ask you a question and you'll answer it." The ghost frowned.

"…fine."

"Great. You start."

"How did you know I would be at the museum?" Predictable.

"I have the unique benefit of knowing the events of the next few years."

"How?"

"That's two questions." Morro groaned.

"Fine."

"What's the Cursed Realm like? An island? Caves?" The ghost was silent for a moment.

"It's as big as Ninjago." He said at last. "There are some towns and cities, and it's very flat. If you go far enough out, there's a wall of thick fog. No one who has gone out there has ever returned." Lydia stared at him with wide eyes.

"That's… actually fascinating. I've never considered something like that." She tapped her finger on the bench, wishing she had something to write on.

"Now it's my turn. _How_ do you know the future?"

"That's classified."

"What?"

"I'm not going to tell you."

"You said you'd answer!" Morro snapped, leaning forward and glaring at her. He quickly sat back, however, when Nya summoned a bit of water in her hand.

"You're our _prisoner_." The water master said in a low voice. "You'd do well to remember that." Morro just stared at the ground.

Before long, they pulled up to the tea shop, and Morro was lead out from the back and towards the Bounty. Lydia found Wu and the ninja waiting for them on the deck, which made Morro surprisingly angry.

" _Wu._ " He spat as soon as his former sensei came within earshot.

"Morro." Wu replied, without nearly as much malice. "I'm glad to see that you're safe."

"'Safe'? Your students just took me prisoner and threatened to kill me!" Wu cast a questioning glance at Lloyd, who pointed at Lydia.

"It was her."

"I didn't _threaten to kill him_." Lydia protested. "I said if not for me, he _would_ be killed, so maybe he shouldn't try to kick me in the face."

" _I_ hope he kicks her in the face." Jay muttered. "Maybe then she'll let us kill him." Lydia gestured at the blue ninja.

"See?"

"I'd heed her advice, Morro. Not even I know what that girl is capable of." The ghost only growled under his breath.

"Now that we're finished with the obligatory death wishes from both sides, why don't we show Morro to his accommodations?" Lydia suggested. Morro frowned.

"'Accommodations'?"

"Are you asking what the word means, or are you confused about what I mean by that?"

"What you meant, why wouldn't I know what the word means?"

"Well, I know your education has been… sketchy." Morro frowned again.

"I can't tell if you're insulting me or Wu."

"Neither! I was just explaining my reasoning for saying that!" Lydia paused. "No, that's not quite true. I was also trying to creep you out with how much I know about you."

"Well it- it didn't work." Morro stammered, turning his face to the ground as some of the ninja snickered. "Cut it out!" He yelled, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Alright, guys, lay off. He's had a hard day." Lydia started towards the bridge. "Let's go. Nya, Lloyd, bring him." The two ninja obeyed, leading Morro into the Bounty, down a hall, and down a flight of stairs to his cell. It wasn't as bare as it had been in the show, and it was lined with deepstone, just in case. They still didn't plan to un-cuff him.

Lloyd and Nya locked Morro up, then they and Lydia left him alone. Lydia didn't want to question him any further while he was already pretty mad. But, tomorrow was another day. And, with Morro captured, she had all the time in the world.

* * *

 **See? They have all the time in the world. Nothing's going to go wrong.**

 **~FFF**


	10. Some People Don't Get Along

**School is a heck**

* * *

"So how did you die?"

"I'm not going to tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't feel like it."

"Aw, lighten up, Morro." Lydia reached through the bars to pat him on the head, quickly yanking her hand back as he swatted at her. "There's no reason to be so cranky."

"You ******* think so? I'm locked up in a ******* cell!"

"Wow, Morro. Geez. Language." Lydia glared at him, and he growled under his breath, turning away. No matter what she said to him after that, he refused to answer. Finally, she gave up and went upstairs.

It was the second day after they had captured Morro, and, unfortunately, she had gotten almost nothing out of him. She offered to let him ask her questions in return, but he was uninterested. Apparently he had realized that she wouldn't give him the answers he wanted, so he wouldn't give her the ones he wanted. He was clever, she gave him that.

"Any luck?" Jay called from where he sat in front of the TV as she passed by.

"Not much." Lydia called back. "He's stubborn."

"We noticed." Kai snorted, without looking up from his game. "Hey Lydia?"

"Yeah?" The brunette wandered over, sitting down on the floor next to Jay.

"Remember how you said you had some good news for me after we captured Morro?"

"Oh yeah. Finish your face, I don't want to make you lose."

"No. Tell me now." Kai ordered.

"I really think you should finish your race first." Lydia insisted.

"Oh fine." The fire ninja was silent throughout the next couple laps, then exited out of the game once he had won. "Now what is it?"

"Your parents are alive."

" _What?!_ " Kai whirled around to face her.

"Your parents are alive." Lydia repeated.

"Wh- are you serious?"

"Yep."

"You knew this, and you didn't tell me right away?!"

"Okay, if I had told you right away, you wouldn't have believed me. You tried to set me on fire for no reason, you would have done worse if I'd told you your parents were alive."

"No I wouldn't!" The red ninja protested. "Well, I might've. But still! And where have they been all this time?"

"They were kidnapped by a man named Krux. He's masquerading as the curator of the museum where we caught Morro, as Dr. Sanders Sanders. He doesn't have a very creative name. I'm not certain where they're being held, but if you ask him very nicely I'm sure he'll tell you."

"Yeah, I'll ask him nicely." Kai muttered, standing up. "I'm gonna go tell Nya, then we're leaving."

"She already knows." Lydia informed him.

"What? You told her and not me?"

"It kind of slipped out. I don't remember. And no offense, Kai, but everyone knows you're a hothead." Jay snickered, and Kai glared daggers at him.

"Alright, whatever. We're off." The red ninja hurried out of the room in search of his sister.

"They're really alive?" Lloyd stepped into the doorway, apparently having been eavesdropping.

"As far as I know."

"And my dad?"

"Oh he's definitely alive."

"You said Morro was looking for something called a Realm Crystal. That made portals to other realms. Could I… could I free my father with that?" The blond asked, approaching slowly.

"You could definitely get to him, I don't know about free him. Probably." Lloyd relaxed a bit.

"Where is it?"

"Well, that's a bit of a complicated question." Lydia stood up. "Come on, let's find Wu."

"Why?" Lloyd asked, but followed her out of the room anyway.

"There's a secret message engraved on his staff by the First Spinjitzu Master, three images which, when deciphered, lead to his tomb, where the Realm Crystal is located.

"Can't you just tell us where it is?"

"No. All I saw was an X on a map. I don't know exact coordinates."

"Well, how do you find the map?"

"I'll walk you through it. But first we need the staff."

"Alright." Ten minutes and a rushed explanation later, they had the images from the staff neatly printed out on a scroll.

"The first one means 'airjitzu'." Lydia explained to the remaining ninja – Kai and Nya had already left. "It's kinda like Spinjitzu, except you can fly."

"Awesome!" Jay cheered. "How do we learn it?"

"You have to read a scroll. It's usually kept in some library, but a guy named Ronin stole it and currently has it in his pawn shop in Stiix. When you confront him, he'll deny he has it, but it's hidden inside a blue vase."

"Sounds like Ronin alright." Cole muttered.

"What's the second symbol?" Zane asked.

"The second symbol means the Sword of Sanctuary. It's a magic sword that lets you see into the near future in the blade's reflection. It's kept in another Realm called Cloud Kingdom, where the 'writers of destiny' live. It's not 100% reliable though. Morro apparently wasn't supposed to escape, but, then again, we can't trust anything Fenwick says."

"Why not? Who's Fenwick?" Lloyd asked, confused.

"Not important. Anyway, there's a portal called the Blind Man's Eye that you can reach by airjitzuing from the top of the wailing alps. Once you get in, find the tallest tower. The sword of sanctuary is kept there." Looking a bit bewildered, the other ninja nodded.

"And the third?" Zane asked.

"Death and murder. Actually, I don't remember exactly what it stands for. It's not important until you get the scroll of Airjitzu and the Sword of Sanctuary anyway."

"…okay. So, off to Stiix, then?" Jay suggested.

"You three go. I want Lloyd to stay in case Morro escapes. His powers are the only ones that can affect him with Nya gone."

"Good point." Lloyd nodded.

"Right. The rest of you, off you go." Lydia shooed the other three away, who hurried off. "I'm going to go check on Morro again." The brunette started to turn and leave.

"Lydia, wait." Lloyd stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, and she looked over her shoulder at him.

"Mm-hmm?"

"I had… a really weird dream last night." She turned around to face him.

"How so?"

"I was… in an icy cave." He twisted his hands together. "Morro was there. And Kai, Jay, Cole, and Zane. Morro had a sword to my throat, and Kai had a huge diamond. Morro kept yelling for them to give it to him, or he would kill me. Finally, Kai threw it to him, but he heated it up first so when Morro caught it he dropped it into the river below. Then I tried to hit him, but he pushed me into the river too. Then I woke up." He hesitated. "It felt… really familiar for some reason." Lydia stared at him blankly. "Does it mean something?"

"Uhh… that's an event from the future." She said slowly. "From if I wasn't changing things."

"Oh." The blond looked alarmed.

"This is kinda bad." Lydia started to pace. "It means the timelines are getting messed up. Or mixed up."

"I'm sure it's no big deal." Lloyd tried to reassure her. "It was just a dream. It's not like actual things have happened."

"I guess. But what if Morro gets prophetic dreams like you did? That could be bad."

"He'll probably think nothing of it. I didn't have any idea it was anything more than a weird dream before I told you about it. And I doubt Morro will be telling you about his dreams."

"Good point." Lydia stopped pacing with a sigh. "Yeah, as long as nothing worse happens, we're gonna be fine." Of course, something bad probably would happen.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure we'll be fine." Lloyd put a hand on her shoulder. "After all, we've taken every precaution. How could Morro possibly escape?"

* * *

 **He just highkey jinxed it**

 **~FFF**


	11. Something Is Not Right

**Referring to the reviews from a couple chapters ago, I think it's hilarious that like half of you ship me with Morro even though I stated in the story that I have a boyfriend.**

 **Ironically, he's broken up with me since then. So we'll see.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Spitfirewaterninja: Cut him some slack. He doesn't know he's in a fanfiction.**

 **Entity: What about season 6? Don't forget season 6.**

 **Ebony: Everything.**

 **NinjagoMLP: It went poof as soon as I guilt-tripped the ninja into letting me live with them.**

 **KitKat: Relatable. I can't wait for something to go wrong either.**

 **Jayden: You already know what's going to happen, so... you know for a fact that he jinxed it.**

 **RandomDragon: For some reason your second review was sent to me hours before the first one... lol. And yeah. The bad stuff is gonna start pretty darn soon.**

 **Guest: He's trying his best.**

* * *

"Stupid ******* *****." Morro muttered under his breath. "If I ever get out of here, I'm going to murder that *****." He had had just about enough of this cell and the brat that had locked him up here. He was sick of these chains. He _hated_ not being able to use his powers. It was worse than being disarmed. His powers were a part of him! It was like being without an arm!

"Good morning, grumpy." A perpetually-cheerful voice chimed from the top of the stairs. Oh great.

"**** off." He yelled back.

"Language, Morro, there are children here." That insufferable girl trotted down the stairs with a plate in one hand.

"You mean you?" Morro raised an eyebrow.

"I was actually talking about you, so now we're in the awkward position of having used the same insult."

"Whatever. Just **** off and leave me alone."

"Okay, fine. And I'll just take this with me." She raised the place invitingly, which was heaped with steaming food. Morro growled under his breath. He now regretted telling her that while ghosts didn't _need_ to eat, going a long time without food was as painful for them as it would be for a human.

"Give it." He snapped, trying to reach through the bars.

"You know the rules." Lydia held the food out of his reach. "Questions first, food second."

"That's cruel!" He protested. "Baiting me with food to get information out of me!

"As cruel as what you planned to do to Lloyd?" She raised an eyebrow with a smirk. Morro didn't respond. "Didn't think so. Now will you answer my questions, or not?"

"No." Morro muttered. "I don't want to answer your stupid questions."

"Then no food."

"It's not fair!" The ghost complained. "You're starving me! Torturing me!"

"Considering I'm protecting you from the others and feeding you on a regular basis, I don't think this is torture. Besides, you don't even need food. What are you complaining about?" Morro pushed himself into the corner of his cell and crossed his arms.

"I don't want to answer your questions today." He muttered, letting his voice crack a bit. Lydia was silent. Then, without a word, she slid the plate under the door of his cell and walked back upstairs. It was a strange thing about her, that he had discovered after overhearing a conversation between her and the green ninja at the top of the stairs: she was weak to displays of strong emotion. Pretend to be about to cry, and she would leave him alone. Satisfied with his victory, Morro reached over to grab the plate of food.

And, completely against his will, he went through it.

"Huh?" He said aloud, but his voice was lost in the wind. Looking up in shock, he found himself high up on a mountain, wind and snow whipping past him and through him. Before he could even cry out in alarm, he was back in the cell, wind rushing past his ears a moment longer before going silent. Morro slumped onto his stomach, eyes wide as he gasped for breath. What _was_ that?!

It was then that he noticed his vengestone cuffs, lying on the floor a few feet away.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

Lydia awoke to find herself in a cold, damp cave.

"Nope." She said aloud, and rolled over and went back right back to sleep.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"Hey! Wake up, brat!" A foot connected with her head, and she immediately sat up with a yelp.

"Owww!" She complained, clutching her head. "What was that for?"

"Wake up. This isn't a ******* dream." Blinking back the tears in her eyes, Lydia squinted around at her surroundings.

"Judging from the swearing and my environment... I must be in... a SJW's lair!" She exclaimed in realization.

"A what?" She turned around to see Morro standing behind her with his hands on his hips.

"Smooth jazz Waluigi." Was her flat response before lowering her head again. "I don't care what you say. This feels an awful lot like a dream."

"It's not a dream!" Morro yelled.

"And even if it's not a dream, I'm tired. I'm going back to sleep."

"No you're not!" The ghost snapped. "The tables have turned, brat! This time, I'm asking the questions!" Lydia opened one eye to stare at him for a few moments.

"Okay, so, if this isn't a dream, can you give me a quick rundown on why the heck I'm in this soggy cave instead of my bed in Nya's room?" Morro smirked.

"Now we're getting somewhere. Earlier tonight, I escaped your so carefully-crafted prison, and, since you so thoughtfully sent away all the ninja except the one I wanted, it was child's play to find you and possess you to-"

"You've _been in my body?_ " Lydia demanded. "Ew! Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew-"

"Can I continue?" THe ghost broke in, monotone.

"-ew ew ew ew ew-"

"Hey, shut up!" He yelled.

"-ew ew ew ew ew ew ew!" She finished. "You can talk now." He groaned.

" _Anyway,_ I tried to possess you to get the answers to all the questions you refused to answer, but there was so much conflicting information that I couldn't tell the real answer." Lydia blinked.

"'Conflicting information'?"

"Yes. There's a dozen futures that are all real at the same time."

"A dozen futures? That's- OH!" She exclaimed. "You're getting- ahahaha!" She burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?!" He demanded.

"Y-you're mixing my fics up with reality..." She choked out through her laughter. "That's _hilarious!_ "

"What?"

"Never mind. Not important." She took a deep breath, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes. "Please, continue."

"I... since I clearly couldn't find the information myself, I possessed Lloyd and-"

"Whoa whoa whoa, hang on there just a diddly darn second." Lydia interrupted, shooting to her feet. " _You have Lloyd?_ "

"Of course I do." Morro grinned, folding his arms across his chest. "How do you think I got all the way up here, in _your_ body?"

"What do you mean 'all the way up here'? Where are we?"

"See for yourself." Morro gestured to a tunnel behind her, and she shot him a nasty look before slowly heading down it.

"That's never a good sign." She muttered under her breath. About 20 feet down the tunnel, it opened out into a cloudless, night sky. Cautiously, Lydia edged closer to the exit until she stood a few inches from the edge of a cliff. It must be hundreds of feet down, though she couldn't tell because there was no moon and below was only darkness.

"Don't slip!" A hand pushed her towards the edge, and she screamed, whirling around and grabbing for a handhold. She found herself clutching Morro's forearm, the owner of which was laughing. "You should've heard yourself scream." He mocked her. Her fear was immediately replaced by anger."

"You jerk!" She raised her free hand and slapped him across the face. It didn't seem to bother him. "THe next time I get vengestone on you, I'm kicking _you_ off a cliff! See how you like it!"

"Oh, there won't be a next time." Grabbing both her wrists, Morro dragged her back into the cave - well, more tugging her along than dragging, she was more than happy to get away from the cliff's edge. "Now I have some errands to run." Morro announced, shoving her towards a wall. "You and Lloyd play nice while I'm gone, okay?"

"Where is he?" Lydia demanded, straightening up. "I want to see him!"

"Don't get yourself all worked up. He's over there." Morro pointed to the far end of the dim cave, which was enveloped completely in darkness.

"Where? It's dark." She deadpanned.

"Somewhere. I don't care if you can see him or not." Morro straightened up. "Now the only way off this cliff is the drop you saw. Don't even try to escape. And if you're considering suicide... you really don't want to do that to poor Lloyd, do you?" Morro chuckled, then walked out of the cave with Lydia glaring after him.

"Suicide isn't worth it, even to spite you." She muttered under her breath before heading towards the dark part of the cave. "Lloyd?" She called into the darkness.

"I'm here." A soft voice replied.

"Lloyd!" She hurried closer, stopping when she realized she really didn't want to smack into a wall. "Where are you? Are you okay? What did he do to you?""

"Follow... follow my voice." He sounded weak. Bad sign. "I'm not... badly hurt. He... I fought back when he possessed me, but he's so strong..." Lydia reached out in front of her and felt the bars of a cage. Undoubtedly vengestone.

"He is strong." She agreed, sinking down next to the cage and pushing her hand through the bars. "But you're stronger. You can break the possession, if only for a few moments." Her hand hit fabric, and his hand grabbed hers.

"Are you sure?"

"I've seen you do it. Twice."

"Then I believe you." He held her hand in both of his. "What does Morro have planned for me?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Lydia confessed. "Ordinarily, he would get a head start on going after the Realm Crystal, but now he has to play catch-up. He'll likely use your body whenever he thinks he'll run into the ninja, it's hard for them to fight you."

"Oh." Lloyd was silent for a few moments. "Is there any way you could get me out of here?"

"I... don't know. I could try to find the key to your cage, but it's so dark that it would be nearly impossible. And in the state you're in, I don't know if you would be able to get us out of here." Lloyd sighed.

"Yeah." They were both silent for a little while. "Lydia?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"I..." He trailed off. "You're a really good friend." He finished after a minute.

"Aw. Thank you." She squeezed his hand. "You should rest."

"I will. But don't leave, okay?" He squeezed her hand back. "I don't want to be alone with him when he comes back."

"Okay." She agreed, leaning her head on the bars and closing her eyes. She felt LLoyd shift into a better position, but he didn't let go of her hand. Finally, his grip relaxed - he was asleep. Of course, being the insomniac, she was, Lydia didn't manage to fall asleep until hours later. As the first rays of sunlight began to trickle into the caves, the brunette finally dropped off to sleep.

* * *

 **Callout post for myself: really oblivious?**

 **~FFF**


	12. Introductions to People you Already Know

**I HAVE FIVE MINUTES NO REVIEW REPLIES SORRY**

* * *

Chapter 12

"I swear, guys, it was an accident."

"Sure."

"And even if it wasn't, my client told me to!"

"You just keep on telling yourself that." Ronin sighed, hanging his head, and Jay snickered. After a successful trip to Ronin's pawn shop in Stiix, the ninja, with the scroll of Airjitzu and Ronin in tow, were on their way back to the Bounty. Except for Ronin's complaining, the trip had been uneventful. This was way easier than it must have been in Lydia's timeline.

When they arrived at the Bounty, though, Jay was confused and alarmed to see Sensei and Misako both waiting for them on the deck. They both looked pretty upset.

"Thank goodness you've returned." Sensei called as they landed. "We have an emergency."

"What has happened?" Zane asked, dematerializing his dragon and hurrying over.

"Morro, Lloyd, and Lydia have vanished. We fear that Morro escaped and took them prisoner." The three ninja exchanged looks of alarm.

"Jay, stick Ronin in Morro's old cell. We'll call the authorities to come get him when we get a chance." Cole ordered, taking charge. "Zane, scan the ship for any signs of where they could have gone."

"Right." Zane nodded and hurried off. Jay nodded as well, dragging Ronin off and locking him in the cell in the basement. When he was finished, he hurried back upstairs. How had Morro escaped? That cell was escape proof!

"I found no signs of forced entry or exit." Zane was saying when Jay got into earshot. "But I did find, Sensei, that your staff is gone." Sensei's eyes widened.

"Oh no. With Lloyd gone, I… I barely noticed."

"And there were no tracks or anything?" Cole asked, sounding almost desperate.

"Negative." Zane shook his head. "He likely flew away." Cole clasped his hands behind his back.

"So we have no idea where Morro took them or what he's going to them." Zane only nodded, and the black ninja let out a slow breath. "So… what do we do?"

"I dunno." Jay shoved his hands in his pockets. "Lloyd's the leader. And… kind of Lydia too. She's been calling the shots a lot lately."

"That is because she knows the future." Zane pointed out. "Or, at least, she did before she changed it." Jay let out a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah." The three were silent for a few moments.

"This is giving me déjà vu." Cole said at last. "It's just the three of us again. Just like right at the beginning."

"You're right." Jay agreed. "And we're trying to save a girl!"

"Technically, at that point we had Kai as part of our group." Zane pointed out again.

"Yeah, but this does kinda remind me of that situation." Cole rubbed his chin. "Lydia – and Lloyd – are held hostage, and we have no idea where. What did we do then?"

"We tried to get the Golden Weapons first." Jay shrugged.

"So that's what we do now. We race Morro for the Realm Crystal."

"But how do we find it? Lydia didn't tell us what to do after the Sword of Sanctuary!" The blue ninja protested.

"So? We obviously figured it out on our own in some timeline!" Cole shook his head. "We already have the scroll, so we're already ahead, and we know what the next means as well. Morro has to start from scratch, and there's no way Lydia's telling him. So we have an advantage there as well."

"But, wait." Zane interjected. "Lydia said that if a ghost possesses someone, they can read their mind. She will have no choice." Cole and Jay exchanged glances.

"…true." The earth ninja said slowly after a moment. "So I guess we have to assume that whatever we know, he knows it and more."

"Then he might already be on his way to the Sword of Sanctuary!" Jay exclaimed. "We should get going, now! If we have the scroll and the sword, it won't matter if he knows all the clues! He won't be able to use them!"

"Good thinking, Jay." Cole agreed. "Zane, fire up the Bounty. We're headed for the Wailing Alps."

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

Lydia woke up to loud talking echoing towards her from a few caves away.

She didn't make any move to get up – she was tired. No point in getting up now anyway, it wasn't like anything interesting was happening. Unfortunately, the loud talking didn't sound like it would be stopping anytime soon, so she gave up on trying to sleep and just lay there.

Lloyd was still holding her hand, she noticed after a while. In his sleep? She didn't bother looking to see if he was awake. Too tired. What time was it? It had been almost morning when she fell asleep, so… she might has slept all day. Who did those voices belong to? After a while, her curiosity won over her exhaustion, and she opened her eyes, glancing around the cave. It was now dimly lit with orange light – late afternoon.

She could see Lloyd now, who was curled up against the back of his cage, asleep. Gently, she pulled her hand out of his grasp, folding his hands on his lap before standing up and stretching. Apparently sitting against the side of a cage wasn't the best sleeping position, she was sore all over. Oh well. Making sure she hadn't woken Lloyd, Lydia quietly headed out of the room. Cave. Thing.

A few caverns away, Morro and four other ghosts were gathered around a table, discussing the images stamped onto it. Lying next to the table were a bamboo staff and a piece of intricately-decorated armor. The allied armor. As she stared at tit, Morro's eyes flickered up towards the entrance she stood in, spotting her.

"Well if it isn't Sleeping Beauty." He called over, straightening up and grinning at his own joke. "Why don't you come on in and introduce yourself?"

"Sure." Fighting back shyness, as all five of them were staring at her, she strode into the cave. "Sup y'all, I'm Sleeping Beauty. Has anyone seen my Prince Charming?"

"This is Lydia." Morro grabbed her by the arm as soon as she was in range, dragging her closer. "Apparently she knows the future. Unfortunately, she's bratty, rude, and sarcastic."

"No wonder you two get along." The one who must be Soul Archer muttered, fingering an arrow. Lydia immediately began to snicker as Morro flushed.

"Don't mock me! I'm in charge here!" He snapped. Soul Archer simply looked away, and Morro groaned. "Whatever. Lydia, I trust you don't require introductions?"

"Well, I can make an educated guess that you are-" She pointed to Soul Archer. "Soul Archer," She pointed to the one with a scythe. "Ghoultar," She pointed to the one with the chain/whip weapon, "Wrayth, and, of course," She turned to the last one. "Bansha." There were murmurs of affirmation from the ghosts, but Lydia kept staring at Bansha. Her eyes were… solid green. She had no irises or pupils, just solid, neon green.

"Why the staring?" The sorceress asked, monotone, after a moment.

"You're pretty." Was Lydia's blunt reply. Soul Archer snorted.

" _Her?_ "

"Prettier than you, Soul Archer." Lydia shot a glare at him.

"Oh, and I should warn you." Morro spoke up. "She has this weird thing about ghosts. She'll ask you questions about us all day and night if you let her."

"Morro, it's rude to talk about someone as if they're not here." She chided him. He ignored her.

"So why is she here?" Wrayth asked.

"She has information, which would make this whole mission a lot easier. I plan to torture her to get it out of her." Lydia opened her mouth to protest, but Bansha spoke first.

"Why not just possess her?"

"I tried that. There's so much information there that I couldn't sort out the truth. You're welcome to try, but I think it's a lost cause."

"There's no need for that." Lydia broke in. "I'll tell you what you want to know. Morro turned towards her, one eyebrow raised.

"Really?"

"Yes." Lydia folded her arms. "On one condition."

"And what's that?"

"You don't possess Lloyd. At all. Leave him here." Morro blinked.

"You think I'm an idiot? You of all people should know why I need him."

"Actually, I know that you don't. A spinjitzu master is only needed for one test once you get in the tomb – assuming, of course, spinjitzu actually activates something instead of just showing the way." Morro stared at her.

"How do I know you're not lying to me?"

"If you find out I'm lying, torture me, kill me, whatever. I'm not lying." Lydia stared him straight in the eye, heart pounding. He stared back at her for a few moments before holding out a hand.

"It's a deal." She stared at his hand for a moment before remembering shaking hands was a thing, and doing so. "Now," Morro let go of her hand, straightening up. "Tell us what the clues mean."

* * *

 **High... quality deals?**

 **~FFF**


	13. Off to See the Wizard

**Still lowkey shocked about how much people are shipping me with Morro. Like, come on. He's being a huge creep and I canonically have a boyfriend. I could not, in good conscience, allow myself to fall in love with him while I'm dating Cam.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Spitfirewaterninja: "A" plot twist? Singular?**

 **NinjagoMLP: Me? Lie? Never! Selectively reveal the truth... I can do that.**

 **Kitkat: Hint: Prince Charming is Morro**

 **Entity: I'm always sassy.**

 **Ebony: I'm going to get substantially less calm within the next couple chapters, I can assure you.**

 **Chan: Wait what references**

 **RandomDragon: I couldn't lie to my Prince Charming like that!**

 **KittyPaws: Don't worry about it! School is a heck in general lol**

 **Guest: Hmm**

* * *

"Ah-ah-ah-ah, not so fast, pretty boy." Lydia held up a hand to shush him, putting the other on her hip. "I don't know if you'll keep up your end of the bargain."

"Why not? I gave my word, didn't I?" Morro looked offended, probably more from her calling him "pretty boy" than her doubting his credibility.

"Can I really trust your word?"

"Yes!"

"That doesn't convince me. You have nothing to lose from breaking your word, and I have everything to lose." She turned to the other ghosts. "Can I trust his word?" Three of them exchanged glances as Morro folded his arms, Ghoultar was staring blankly at the wall.

"Perhaps." Soul Archer said at last. "I've known him to lie and cheat, but never have I seen him break a promise."

"Hmm." Lydia nodded. "Still, I'll only give you enough information for the time being. Once you've completed that bit, I'll tell you more. Okay?"

"Fine." Morro looked sullen. "But don't go getting any ideas about where you stand in this. I can do whatever I want to you, whenever I want. Understand?"

"Yeah, I get it. I hope you realize you sound like a huge creep."

"I don't care. Now, what does the first symbol mean?"

"'Airjitzu'. I kinda expected you to know that, Morro." He scowled. "The scroll of Airjitzu is kept in the… Library of Domu, I think. However, a guy named Ronin stole it, and has it in his pawn shop in the city of Stiix. _However_ , I sent the ninja to get it a couple days ago. So good luck with that." Morro growled under his breath.

"That doesn't do me any good! The ninja are ready for me, how can I get the scroll from them to learn Airjitzu?"

"Well…" Lydia leaned her elbow on the table, propping her chin in her hand. "There is _another_ way to learn Airjitzu…"

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"Lloyd was _what?!_ " Kai thundered. Jay winced.

"Kidnapped by Morro." He repeated, though he doubted Kai's outburst was from a lack of understanding as much as denial and rage. "And Lydia too." Kai let out a rather nasty swear word.

"Dear!" His mother exclaimed. "Language!"

"Sorry, Mom." He muttered. Kai and Nya had just returned from their trip, right before the others were about to set off for the Wailing Alps, with their parents in tow. Jay had been voted to break the news to them, which had gotten him into this unfortunate position.

"But how?" Nya protested. "How could he get out?"

"I don't know. None of us do." Jay shook his head. "Cole and Zane and I just got back earlier today, and they were gone. Come inside, Zane can fill you in on the details. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I'm sorry you had to come back to all this chaos." He nodded respectfully to them.

"It's alright." Nya's father said. "We'll do everything in our power to help."

"Thank you." Jay lead them inside into the bridge, where the others were hurrying around getting things ready.

"Kai, Nya, thank goodness you're back." Cole called across the room. "Get ready for takeoff. We're headed for the Wailing Alps." The Smiths exchanged glances, but obeyed.

A few minutes later, the Bounty was on its way, and Zane took a few minutes to explain everything that had happened since Kai and Nya had left.

"I suppose the biggest question is how he escaped." Kai's father, Ray, said after he had finished. "After all, with his powers negated, he shouldn't have been able to do a thing."

"No, the biggest question is _why we let this happen_." Kai snapped. "I was right all along! We should have killed him when we had the chance! Now look what's happened!"

"Perhaps you are right, Kai." Wu put a hand on his shoulder. "But there is no use in dwelling on it now. All we can do is fight."

"Race, really." Cole spoke up. "Race Morro for the Realm Crystal. And, thanks to Lydia, we're in the lead."

"It's thanks to her that we have to be racing at all!" Kai huffed. "If she'd let us kill him, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Kai, that's not fair." Nya folded her arms. "Lydia didn't have anything to do with Morro escaping. As far as we know, at least. And his escape was basically impossible, she couldn't have predicted it. She went to every length to make sure we were safe from him, and, well… she failed. But she's suffering from it too. She's probably being treated as badly as Lloyd, or for all we know she's dead. Morro needs Lloyd, but he doesn't need her. So keep your complaints to yourself!" Kai grumbled under his breath, but didn't protest. "I know you're upset about Lloyd, but try to keep your anger directed where it belongs: At Morro. It's not like he's a force of nature, destructive without any consciousness behind it. He's a person. An evil one. And he deserves your anger far more than Lydia does."

"Yeah, whatever." Kai folded his arms. "I guess that makes sense."

"I always make sense."

"So what's our goal?" Maya spoke up.

"Get to the Realm Crystal before Morro." Zane replied.

"And what then?" The room went silent as Cole, Zane, and Jay exchanged glances.

"We… haven't figured that part out yet." Cole admitted. "But that will put a stop to Morro's immediate plans. If he wants it, he'll have to fight us head-on."

"Which is against a Master of Water." Nya chimed in.

"Well, that's good enough for now, then." Maya nodded. "Then it's off to Cloud Kingdom. With any luck, Morro isn't already on his way."

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"Get up." A foot connected with Lydia's leg, and she jumped, opening her eyes.

"What is it with you and kicking?" She muttered at the sight of Morro standing over her.

"Get up." He repeated. "We're leaving for Yang's temple."

"Wait, 'we'?" She sat up, stretching. "As in, me included?"

"Yep."

"Why? You don't need me."

"Maybe not. But I'm bringing you anyway."

"Seriously! I'd just slow you down!" Lydia stood up, hands balled into fists. "There's a dozen reasons why you shouldn't bring me!"

"Name them."

"Well, for starters, Yang tests people by making them face their fears, right? Each one lasts maybe five to ten minutes. If I come along, that makes it that much longer."

"Mm-hmm."

"And then there's transportation. How do you plan to get me there?"

"We walk. It's not far."

"It would be much faster for you to go alone on your dragon, and every minute wasted is another minute the ninja have on you."

"Maybe so."

"And thirdly, if I get stuck there overnight, I'll be a ghost! Then I can kick you back!" She stomped her foot.

"Is that all?"

"That I can think of at this moment, yes."

"That was only three. You said a dozen."

"I exaggerated." She had to bite back a mocking remark about how she was surprised he could count.

"Well, none of that is worth leaving you behind." He jabbed a finger at her. "You know how this works. I'm not taking the risk of being stuck in there without information. So, like it or not, you're coming." Lydia's shoulders slumped, and she stared at the floor. She really didn't like facing her fears. Really, really didn't like it. All of this was a terrible idea. Time to reexamine her life choices.

"I'm starting to regret not letting them kill you." She muttered.

"Just starting? That's a good sign." Morro grinned. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, your boyfriend is coming too." Lydia's head snapped up to look at him.

"What?"

"Your boyfriend's coming too." He repeated, gesturing to his right, and she looked over to see Lloyd being released from his cage by Soul Archer, then chained with Vengestone.

"Lloyd's, uh… not my boyfriend." She said with a frown. Morro looked genuinely surprised.

"He's not?"

"Yeah. Why would you think that?"

"I just assumed that…" He trailed off. "Never mind. I guess I was wrong." With that, he turned around and walked off. "Get over here. We have a lot of walking to do if we want to make it there before sundown." Shrugging, Lydia followed, trying to appear unconcerned. Personally, she was perfectly happy with not making it there before sundown. Not only would it slow Morro down, but it would put off her having to go in there just yet. She really, _really_ didn't like anything about this plan. Maybe she should have lied after all. Well, it was too late now. There was nothing to be done by endure it.

By tomorrow morning, at least, it would be over.

* * *

 **I wonder why Morro would think a silly thing like that**

 **maybe it's that Morro was in Lloyd's head and she wasn't**

 **~FFF**


	14. Why Are We Even Here

***steps out into view* hi- *ducks back behind wall as tomatoes are flung in my direction***

 **Okay so, excuses. I was REALLY HECKING BUSY for a while. with just... things that take up a lot of time.**

 **(I was trying to knit a scarf before christmas)**

 **anyway... I have 2 more chapters of this already written, and I plan to write another tonight, but I'm getting a LOT LESS computer time until my dad goes back to work next monday. So I can't guarantee frequent updates.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Ebony: He actually has no idea how what he's saying is being interpreted. He knows he's being a jerk but he doesn't realize he's being REALLY CREEPY. Unfortunately for me, my greatest fear is really easy to trigger. At least for Yang.**

 **NinjagoMLP: Hero complex.**

 **Entity: Gosh I hope so. If something doesn't go wrong that's bad for me. And when I read your review for the first time i was like "haha of course ill update before christmas". I was wrong**

 **Kitkat: That... sounds like a really inconvenient fear to have yeah. Morro ships me with Lloyd hehe xd**

 **Spitfirewaterninja: Just wait until the chapter after this one! THAT ONE is a REALLY bad place to leave off!**

 **RandomDragon: That's the problem. I can't think of any obvious physical fears Morro would have. Wait, I just had an idea. And... that is a really nice opening for a story. Good suspense building.**

 **Kittypaws: He's doing his best.**

 **I swear one of these days I'm going to try to type "ghost" and then write "goat"**

* * *

"I'm tired." Lydia complained, trailing behind the rest of the group.

"Too bad." Morro called back in reply.

"I'm going to pass out if you make me keep going."

"No you're not."

"Am too!" She was lying.

"Then I can have someone carry you. Not a big deal." Lydia sighed.

"Fine. Whatever." They had been walking in the hot sun for an hour now, and Lydia was trying to act exhausted without overdoing it. Apparently either Morro didn't care, or she was failing. Oh well.

Their party consisted of Morro, Lloyd, her, Bansha, and Wrayth, Soul Archer and Ghoultar having been sent off to do something else. Probably trying to sabotage the ninja. Of course, the ninja should have the scroll of Airjitzu by now, and were hopefully on their way to the Sword of Sanctuary, which Morro's goons didn't know the location of, so what were they trying to do? They shouldn't be able to even find the ship! Maybe they were doing something else, but what else was there to do? Maybe Morro sent them away, then had them come back after they left to confuse her. But that didn't make sense, it was a lot of work to go to for no reason. Maybe she should just ask.

"Hey Morro," She called. "What were- aah!" She let out a yelp as her foot sunk into a hole, her ankle twisting painfully as she fell hard onto her hands.

"Get up." Morro sounded annoyed.

"Thanks for your sympathy." Brushing her hands off, Lydia eased her foot out of the hole, prodding at her ankle. That didn't feel great. It was probably sprained.

"I said get up." The ghost boy stopped walking, turning around and putting his hands on his hips. Lloyd stopped as well, his eyes widening as he spotted her on the ground.

"I'm injured, you buffoon." She yelled back, and Morro bristled.

"Get up and walk, or I'll break your leg." He snapped.

"That would be terribly counterproductive." Still, Lydia got to her feet and cautiously put weight on her right foot. Pain spiked up her leg. "I don't think I can walk." Her captor groaned.

"You know what? Fine. Lloyd, carry her."

"W-what?" The blond's head snapped up.

"You heard me."

"I don't think that'll be necessary." Lydia said quickly, noticing Lloyd's blush. "I just need a support."

"Well, then help her walk or something. I'm not touching her." The ghost shrugged and turned away, and Lydia hissed.

"You had no problem touching me when you _possessed me!_ " She yelled after him. Morro ignored her, walking away. Lydia had to bite her tongue to keep from swearing at him. After shooting him a nasty look over his shoulder, Lloyd hurried over.

"Put your arm around my shoulders." He instructed, looping his cuffed hands over her head and wrapping one arm around her back. Lydia obeyed, blushing. This was as close as she had ever been to Lloyd. Together, they started to walk, Lydia putting as little weight as she could manage on her right foot. "You really shouldn't be walking on it at all." Lloyd cautioned. "How bad is it?"

"Just a sprain I think. And if I put all my weight on my left foot, that leg will get all tired out, then you'll _have_ to carry me." She let out a nervous giggle.

"I guess." Lloyd tried to move his right arm, but it hit the limit of his cuffs and he gave up, staring off into the distance. "Do you think Morro will win?" He asked softly after a few minutes.

"I'll see to it that he doesn't." Was her reply. Lloyd nodded, then didn't say anything more.

It was late afternoon before they got to Yang's temple. A group of tourists were there, but Morro scared them off. Once they had fled in their bus, Morro turned to Lydia.

"Now, how do we get in?"

"The front door." Lydia replied flatly. Morro blinked.

"It's that easy?"

"Should be." Shrugging, Morro walked up to the front door and opened it.

"I guess it is."

"That's the last easy part about this whole thing, trust me." Shaking her head, Lydia hopped up the steps with Lloyd's help, following him in. Maybe it would have been better if she had just jumped off the cliff before they left. Unfortunately, she rationalized, she had to keep Morro from taking over the world. She had a job to do. And if that job included going into a terrifying haunted mansion, well, so be it. She'd live.

Probably.

"You made this sound like it was going to be a lot scarier." Morro remarked as they walked down a hallway.

"The real fun might not start until nightfall." Lydia shrugged. "No scary stuff means no Yang."

"Well, in the meantime, maybe you and your b- Lloyd can tell us what you're afraid of. Give us something to expect."

"Only if you tell us your fears." Lydia jabbed a finger in his direction. Morro raised an eyebrow.

"Which ones are the prisoners, and which is the master here?"

"First of all, you're doing that thing again."

"What thing?"

"Where you're a huge creep. Secondly, the Preeminent is the boss."

"I meant in this immediate area."

"Oh, why didn't you say so? Lloyd, of course. He's clearly the most skilled.

"Will he be after I break his legs?" The ghost boy growled.

"Oh look! The sun's setting!" Lydia pointed, and Morro turned to see that the sun was indeed sinking below the horizon.

"Good. Then let's get moving again. The sooner we have these tests over and done with, the better."

"Finally, something we agree on." Lydia muttered as they started walking again.

It was about ten minutes before anything happened, the temple slowly getting darker and darker. Finally, a low sound echoed through the halls: a howl.

"Wolves?" Lloyd spoke up, sounding unsure. Lydia opened her mouth to reply, but stopped when she noticed Bansha freezing in place, clutching her staff with both hands.

"Bansha?" The brunette spoke, and the blademistress jumped. "Are you okay?" Her only response was to clutch the shaft of her staff until her knuckles were white.

"You're a ghost, Bansha." Morro only sounded slightly more sympathetic than he usual. "What can wolves do to you?" Bansha just shook her head.

"More than you might think. Look!" Lloyd pointed to the end of the hallway, and Lydia turned to see glowing animals moving around the corner. Ghost wolves.

"Of course it's ghosts." Lydia muttered. She glanced over to the other end of the hallway, but there was nothing there. "Do we run or fight?"

"I don't think you _can_ run." Lloyd broke in.

"You could carry her." Morro pointed out. "But, as long as my wind can affect these things, we're fighting. Bansha, get behind me." Numbly, the sorceress obeyed. As Morro took a fighting stance, Lydia cautiously reached out and touched Bansha's arm. The blademistress's head moved, almost imperceptivity, and despite Bansha's lack of pupils Lydia felt like she was looking at her. Poor thing looked pretty freaked out. The wolves charged down the hall at them, and Morro sent them flying with a gust of wind. Bansha's head jerked up to look, but Lydia squeezed her arm.

"Look at me." She ordered. "Watching them won't help anything. Just look at me." Slowly, Bansha lowered her staff, sinking to her knees, and Lloyd lowered Lydia down next to her.

"Wrayth, a little help?!" Morro snapped from her right.

"My chain is useless in close quarters!" Wrayth protested.

"Then take this!" Morro summoned a sword out of thin air. "Swing it. Bansha's unavailable for this fight, Lydia _can't_ fight, and I'm not letting Lloyd out of those chains, so help me." Without a word, the chain master obeyed. Apparently they cared enough about Bansha to not even consider making her fight something that scared her. That was sweet of them.

After about fifteen minutes, the wolves vanished. As soon as they did, Bansha pulled her arm out of Lydia's grasp and stood up, muttering a 'thank you'. She was probably embarrassed by her reaction.

"As iron sharpens iron," A voice echoed through the corridors. "Sensei sharpens student."

"That's a terrible analogy." Lydia muttered. "It should be, like, 'as steel sharpens iron, sensei sharpens student' or something. It only makes sense if it's the same thing both times." Morro gave her a funny look. "What? He has a stupid catchphrase."

"Whatever. Let's get moving. I want to find a place to hole up for the night." Morro started down the hall, and Lloyd pulled Lydia to her feet again. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **fyi this chapter is terribly unrealistic. I would never be able to keep my cool that long.**

 **~FFF**

 **P.S. OH YEAH I ALMOST FORGOT: Happy new year**


	15. Into the Void

**As it turns out, yesterday I managed to type in both remaining chapters I had written out. So now I can post them whenever I want.**

 **Review replies:**

 **NinjagoMLP: Yeah I know, but do I really have a choice? This is Morro's fault. He made me go.**

 **Everyone else: I just... everyone loves the ghost wolves? I didn't expect that.**

 **I'm too tired to proofread this**

* * *

"You know, this is a terrible idea." Lydia remarked, lounging against the wall. "Whatever comes at us next, we're going to be trapped in here with it."

"Don't be silly. Whatever comes next, we can fight it off." Morro leaned against the wall a few feet away, one of his ghost swords hanging idly in his hand.

"What about water?" Lydia countered. "You can't fight water. And with three ghosts, it would surprise me if none of you were afraid of water."

"I could blow it away." Morro folded his arms, but Wrayth slowly raised his hand.

"I'm afraid of water, so it's something to worry about."

"See? Thank you, Wrayth." Lydia gestured towards him. "Anyway. In the event of the room flooding, the door will be locked. That means, unless we can get it open, we all drown." Morro hesitated.

"That's… not optimal, no. But we can simply break the door down."

"If it's underwater, how are you going to manage that?"

"I'll blow the water away from the door."

"Well, that could work. Unless you killed Bansha and Wrayth in the process."

"What about your fears?" Morro changed the subject. "Any of those able to corner us in here?

"Well, let's see. Out of my fears, probably the ones most easy for Yang to physically pit against me would be… spiders, and the dark." Morro snorted.

"You're afraid of the dark?"

"More specifically, I'm afraid of jumpscares. My greatest fear is claustrophobia, but I can't see how he could trigger that one."

"Claws-trow-phobia?" Morro raised an eyebrow.

"It means a fear of tight spaces. Like, once when I was young, I got into a long, thin box, then someone closed the lid and sat on it so I couldn't get out. I freaked out." The ghost boy frowned.

"Oh. Yeah, unless the temple spontaneously shrinks around us, I don't think he can do that."

"Good. What about you, Morro? Anything you're afraid of that is able to do something horrible to us?" Morro crossed his arms.

"I'm not telling you my fears."

"Fine. I'll guess." Lydia tapped her finger on her chin. "For physical fears, I can only think of water as a possibility, but, due to your flippant response when I suggested it, probably not. As for more psychological and mental fears, I'm guessing you have a fear of abandonment or losing people you love, due to your early childhood. I'd also bet you have a fear of failure, since you spent years training to be the green ninja only to-"

"Stop." Morro growled. Lydia looked up from her foot to see the ghost boy standing stiffly by the wall, eyes narrowed into slits. Something she had said had hit a nerve.

"Guess I guessed right." She said lightly. Morro looked like he was about to snap her neck when Wrayth spoke.

"Is… is this a bad sign?" The brunette looked up to see the chain master standing next to a painting of a ship at sea. It was moving, the ship being tossed in the waves and winds.

"Ohhh yes, bad, bad sign. If you touch it, it's gonna start overflowing. If you don't, it probably will anyway. Back away." Looking up, Morro hurried over to the door and tried to open it.

"Locked." He said grimly. "Bansha, help me get this open." The blademistress obeyed, hurrying over and trying to bash the door open with Morro's help. Lydia glanced at the painting again to see water trickling out of it.

"Lloyd, how heavy are those chains?" She called over to the blond, who was sitting on the other side of the room. "Will you sink?" He frowned, lifting his hands experimentally.

"I… think so. They're pretty heavy." He said slowly. "But even if I could, what good would it do? If the room's just going to fill up with water?"

"When the ninja got trapped in this room while it was flooding, Kai kept trying to open the door until the room was more than half full of water, at which point it opened. It might unlock at a certain point."

"Wait, which of the ninja is afraid of water?"

"Kai."

"Huh. I never knew." Water was starting to spread across the floor, and Wrayth backed away nervously.

"Morro, maybe you and your crew should get up high." Lydia suggested. Morro stepped away from the door, panting.

"It's no use. It won't open." He shook his head.

"I'll try to open it once the water's higher. Just get yourself, Bansha, and Wrayth to safety. Lloyd, you can hang onto or sit on the table to keep from sinking." She pointed to the wooden table in the center of the room.

"Okay." He nodded.

"And I'll… wait. Morro, can I have your sash?" Morro frowned, looking down at his belt.

"Why?"

"I need to wrap my ankle so I can swim." He raised an eye brow, but untied it and tossed it to her. Then he grabbed Bansha around the waist, pulling Wrayth over with a gust of wind and carrying the three of them up to the ceiling. Standing up and limping over to the table, Lydia sat down on the edge and took her shoe and sock off, wrapping Morro's belt around her foot and ankle, tying it tight. That would probably cut down on the pain, since it would restrict her ankle's movement.

Next to her, Lloyd climbed up on the table as well.

"What happens if you can't open the door?" He said quietly.

"Then we all die." Lydia replied bluntly. "But this is a test of will, not a death trap. Yang probably won't let us die."

"'Probably'?"

"He's a bit unstable. I mean, unpredictable. But he has nothing to gain from killing us all, plus he wouldn't be able to throw more fears at us if he kills us here. Ruins his fun." Lydia shrugged, then took off her other shoe and sock and stuck her socks in her shoes. "Would be nice not to lose those."

"I'll hold onto them." Lloyd set them next to him.

"Thanks." The water level had reached the bottom of the table, and it started to float. It was rising quickly.

"How does your ankle feel?" Lloyd asked.

"Ehh…" Lydia shook her leg a bit. "Not horrible. I've had worse. And this water is pretty cold, I'll probably be so numb I won't even feel the pain. _That's_ gonna be fun to swim in." She muttered the last part under her breath. Lloyd frowned.

"Maybe I should do it."

"No, I don't want you to get stuck down there. If the doors won't open." She grabbed the chain links that hung between his wrists. "These things are pretty heavy."

"I guess, but I'm a ninja! And you're hurt! That will affect your ability to swim too!"

"It's just a sprained ankle. And I have the handy-dandy ability to ignore pain which I really shouldn't and injure myself more. Trust me, I'll be fine. And I've swam in worse."

"In really cold water, fully clothed, knowing that if you can't get the door open we'll all die?"

"Have _you_ ever swam in really cold water, fully clothed, knowing that if you don't get the door open we'll all die AND being dragged down by heavy chains on your wrists?" Lydia countered. Lloyd frowned.

"This is kind of a unique situation."

"I hope so." The table started to sink down on the side they were on, and Lloyd scooted over to the opposite end.

"How much longer do I have to do this?" Morro called down from the ceiling, where he held himself, Bansha, and Wrayth in an upper corner.

"Maybe another five, ten minutes. How long can you do it?"

"Longer than that, but not much longer.

"Great." Lydia folded her legs. "Well, like I said, this is a test of will. Hang in there, Wrayth."

It was a little less than ten minutes before the room was half full of water, at which point Lydia stuck her hand on the water. She whistled.

" _That's_ cold."

"I still think I should do it." Lloyd touched her arm.

"Pssh, I can do it. Don't worry green bean."

"'Green bean'?"

"Grasshopper. Green machine. Take your pick." Lydia squinted down at the door underwater. "I'm gonna go for it. Wish me luck! And try not to fall off the table." Lloyd opened his mouth to reply, but he was too slow, as Lydia grabbed her hair behind her head and pushed herself off the table into the water.

Immediately, she came up for air.

"Yep, it's cold." She remarked, then ducked under the water again. She swam down to the door, then twisted the knob. It turned! The door swung open, and all the water flowed out into the hall, carrying Lydia and Lloyd with it along with various furniture. Lydia held her breath until she hit a wall, which made her choke on the water trying to take a breath. Fortunately, it quickly drained through the floor, allowing her to breathe again.

"That worked." Morro called down the hall, and she glanced up to see him floating down towards her with Bansha and Wrayth beside him. "Is the floor dry?" A couple feet to her left, Lloyd sat up and patted the floor.

"I think it is, actually." He said in surprise. "That was fast."

"Magic." Lydia moved to stand, but froze as an ominous crack came from underneath her. "Uh-" She started, but didn't get a chance to finish as the floor beneath her fell away and she fell into the void.

* * *

 **Hmm**

 **~FFF**


	16. That Was Shockingly Easy

**This is the last of my supply of pre-written chapters. I guess now I have to write again...**

 **Review replies:**

 **Ebony: Hehe. Of course. And voids are never tiny. They're... voids.**

 **Kitkat: Pshh. That's too generic. And he might possibly. :)**

 **RandomDragon: More like a neon green hole.**

 **NinjagoMLP: I am very brave. Especially since I hate cold water. And there were probably spiders in it. And that wasn't my fault! That was Yang's!  
**

* * *

"Except for the crazy wind gusts, that wasn't half bad!" Jay remarked, plodding casually across the clouds.

"We nearly fell off the mountain." Cole said bluntly. " _Twice_. If not for our dragons, we would be dead."

"But we're not!" Jay chirped. "Besides, you forgot Cyclon-do!" Cole sighed.

"I don't get it though." Kai stared at the ground – well, clouds – , hands folded behind his back. "Didn't Lydia say that when Lloyd was possessed, we'd lose our powers?"

"Yeah." Nya nodded. "But we obviously didn't." She created a ball of water in her hand. "So… maybe Lloyd escaped?"

"If he did, why hasn't he shown up yet?"

"He could have gotten to the Bounty since we left." Cole suggested.

"Or maybe Lydia's still imprisoned and he's worried about her." Nya added. Kai snorted.

"About _her?_ "

"Kai, not everyone dislikes her like you do." His sister pointed out. "Besides, Lloyd… y'know." Kai blinked.

"Know what?" Jay and Cole exchanged glances.

"Wait." Jay snickered. "Does Kai not know that Lloyd has a cr-" Cole slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Let's let Lloyd tell him on his own time. Don't spread gossip." Jay groaned, but nodded. Kai, however, refused to let it go.

"What? Lloyd has a what?" He pressed.

"Lloyd has a crush on Lydia." Zane said bluntly. Kai choked on air as Jay burst into giggles and Cole smacked his forehead.

"Are you serious?" The fire ninja demanded.

"Completely." Zane replied. "Lloyd has become increasingly flustered whenever he talks to her, and I heard him discussing how to deal with a romantic attraction with his mother. Who else could he be referring to?" Kai groaned.

"I guess it has to be her, but… come on, Lloyd! Why _her_ of all people?"

"There's nothing wrong with Lydia, Kai." Cole raised an eyebrow. "Why do you dislike her so much?"

"She's an annoying know-it-all! And she acts like she knows what's best for us, even though she doesn't!

"That's because she knows the freakin' future!" Cole threw his hands up in the air. "She does pretty much know what's best for us!"

"Then how did she get herself and Lloyd captured?" Kai demanded.

"Because, Kai, she only knows _one_ future." Zane explained. "Once she changed it, she became as blind as we are to future events." The spiky-haired ninja frowned.

"Whatever." As they approached a staircase, a man with platinum-blond hair walked towards the top, stopping and waiting for them to climb the steps before speaking.

"Welcome to Cloud Kingdom, Ninja. I hope your journey was not too difficult?" He asked, his voice calm.

"We almost fell-" Cole started, but Jay interrupted.

"It was fine, thanks."

"Good." The man gave them a disarming smile. "I am Fenwick. I have been instructed to bring you to the Master Writer. Please, follow me." He turned and began to walk away, and Kai and Nya started to follow, but the other three hesitated.

"Fenwick." Cole whispered. "That's the guy Lydia said we can't trust. Kai! Nya!" The black ninja raised his voice to call them back, and they stopped.

"What?" Kai raised an eyebrow. "He said to follow him."

"Lydia warned us about this guy. He's lying to us. Let's just head for the tallest tower." Kai frowned, but didn't argue.

"Alright, I see it. Let's go." The ninja set off across the clouds, summoning their dragons when they came to the edge of the platform and flying towards the top of the tower.

"Wait!" Fenwick called after them, but they didn't even pause.

"Sorry pal!" Jay yelled over his shoulder. "But we got a tip that you're not to be trusted!" He didn't answer, running into a building.

"Where's he going?" Cole yelled from his dragon.

"Perhaps to get reinforcements." Zane yelled back. "Let's hurry!" The five flew up to the windows on the top floor, where they desummoned their dragons and airjitzued over to the balcony. On a stand inside was a beautiful, golden sword.

"That must be it." Nya carefully lifted it from its resting place, holding it up to the light. In the reflection of the blade, she saw Kai move to take it, and pulled it away before he even moved. "This is it alright." She confirmed. "Let's get out of here." The water ninja pushed past her brother and ran towards the window, jumping out and summoning her dragon again. The other ninja followed suit, and they flew towards the exit portal.

Abruptly, the clouds around them darkened, and the ninja exchanged looks of alarm.

"They stole the Sword of Sanctuary!" A voice shouted, and Nya turned to see a fleet of floating boats sailing – er, flying? – after them. "Stop them!" Abruptly, it began to hail, and the ninja cried out in shock as they were pelted with ice.

"ZANE!" Kai yelled. "CAN'T YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS?"

"I CANNOT CONTROL THE MOVEMENT OF ICE! ONLY CREATE IT!" Zane yelled back. "MELT IT!"

"OH YEAH!" Kai lifted a hand and shot fire at the hail above them, melting and evaporating it before it could hit them. He kept the stream of fire going as they dove towards the Blind Man's Eye, and they made it through without incident. The hail stopped as soon as they passed through the portal, and Jay let out a cheer.

"That was easy!" He exclaimed.

"Two clues down, one to go." Cole called back. "Let's just hope we can figure out the third before Morro catches up."

* * *

 **Me? Tell you what happened to Lydia? Ridiculous.**

 **~FFF**


	17. Yikes, the Void

**This chapter is so sappy it took 3 days to write and 2 days to type in**

 **also IT'S SO LATE I CANT DO REVIEW REPLIES AAAAAAAAAAAAAH**

* * *

Chapter 17

Lydia took one look at the swirling, green void around her and covered her face with her hands, not even thinking to scream. She faintly heart cries of alarm from the temple, but her mind refused to focus on them. Was this what being in shock felt like?

Wind whipped around her and she felt herself rising, but she didn't uncover her face until a hand grabbed her wrist, yanking her hand away, and she looked up in shock to see Morro pulling her through the hole she had fallen through. She squeezed her eyes shut again as he pulled her through and set her on the floor, letting go of her arm. She didn't do or say anything, just lay there for a few moments.

"Lydia!" A warm hand touched her shoulder, shaking her. "Are you okay? Talk to me!" She opened one eye to see Lloyd staring down at her in concern. In one movement, she pushed herself up and wrapped both arms around one of his, burying her face in his shoulder.

"You're welcome." Morro muttered from a few feet away.

"Hey, leave her alone." Lloyd snapped. "She just almost fell… probably almost fell to her death."

"Yeah, I know. Which was why I saved her."

"Just so you wouldn't lose your source of information!"

"That is _not_ the only reason!"

"Then why'd you do it?"

"Boys!" Bansha snapped. "We have bigger problems than whether or not Morro got his thanks! Both of you shut up so we can see if the girl is alright!" Lydia appreciated Bansha sticking up for her, even though it appeared she didn't remember her name. At the moment, she was incapable of speaking. Probably shock. Oh well. Morro and Lloyd were silent for a few moments before Lloyd said,

"Lydia, can you hear me?" She nodded a bit. "Are you okay?" She shrugged. How were you supposed to react to being exposed to your greatest fear? "Let me rephrase that. Are you hurt?" She shook her head, still not lifting it from Lloyd's arm. "That's good. Can you move?" Shrug. "Okay. Come here." 'Come here'? She was already clinging to him for dear life! Then she realized what he meant when he wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close.

No one moved or spoke for a while, at least, as far as she knew, she didn't hear anything. Finally, she figured she was sufficiently calmed down, and lifted her head a bit to whisper,

"I forgot to mention one fear."

"Heights?" Lloyd guessed.

"Voids."

"Voids?" Morro echoed.

"Y'know. Infinite expanses. I dunno why. Something to do with a dream I had when I was little." She pressed her face into Lloyd's shoulder again. "Thanks for saving me, Morro. I probably would have starved to death if you hadn't. Not really in the top ten of 'ways I'd like to die'."

"You have a list?" Wrayth asked incredulously.

"It's… nevermind."

"You're welcome." Morro answered, a bit late. "I couldn't just let you fall."

"What's the other reason?"

"…huh?"

"Lloyd accused you of only saving me so I could give you information. You said that wasn't the only reason. What else?"

"I… didn't want to have to listen to Lloyd moping for days if I let you fall." He muttered, and Lydia raised her head to see over Lloyd's shoulder to see Morro cross his arms and look away.

"Either you're flat-out lying, or you're hiding something." She said bluntly. He sighed, uncrossing his arms.

"Fine. I don't know why. I just… when I saw you fall, I didn't think. I just… knew I could save you, so I did." He shrugged, still not meeting her eyes.

"Hmm." She lowered her chin onto Lloyd's shoulder and closed her eyes. "Ow." Lloyd's arms around her loosened.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No, no, it's just that my ankle doesn't like the way I'm sitting." She shifted, stretching her leg out and turning to look at it. It was turning purple. "Ew. That doesn't look great."

"You _really_ shouldn't walk on it now." Morro stood up and walked over, sitting next to them. He reached into a fold of his gi and pulled out a key, fitting it into the cuff on Lloyd's left wrist and unlocking it, pulling it off. The blond just stared as Morro moved to his other side, re-attaching the cuff onto his right arm.

"What-" Lloyd started, but Morro interrupted.

"You need to carry her." He said bluntly. "She can't walk like that. And it'll be easier if your hands are free."

"Oh." Lloyd wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her back against his chest. "I guess we should get going." Lydia cast a wary glance at the floor.

"Yeah. Before more of the floor breaks." Carefully, Lloyd put one arm under her legs and the other under her chest, standing up and lifting her up with him. It felt a little precarious, but Lloyd wouldn't drop her unless he was attacked or something. Why did her siblings always complain when she picked them up like this?

As Lloyd started walking, she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She should probably sleep. After all, their plan was to stay up all night in a haunted temple, and every time she had stayed up all night in the past she had been weird and loopy by morning. Besides, it was hours and hours before morning, and Yang had already hit three of them. The remaining fears he would have to spread out quite a bit. Plenty of time to sleep. So, maybe 20 minutes later, she managed to nod off.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

This wasn't awkward at all.

Lloyd walked down the hallway, carefully balancing Lydia in his arms. Even though she was asleep, he felt… really presumptuous to be carrying her around like this. She seemed like she was okay with it, and he didn't really have much of a choice, but… she didn't know he liked her. Or did she? Him fussing over her and hugging her might've given her a clue. He hoped not. Except for making a deal with Morro to keep him safe and immediately grabbing onto his arm when Morro had rescued her, she had shown no signs of maybe liking him back. So… he didn't know how she would react.

"What's up with you?" Lloyd looked up from the floor in front of him to see Morro looking over his shoulder at him.

"Huh?"

"What's up with you?" The ghost boy repeated. "You've got a weird look on your face." Lloyd frowned.

"I'm… thinking about stuff."

"What stuff?" The ghost boy pressed.

"That's my business, not yours." Lloyd looked away.

"Well I'm making it my business. Tell me or else I'll possess you and find out myself." He threatened. Lloyd flinched.

"You promised Lydia you wouldn't."

"She's asleep."

"I'll tell her! And she'll believe me over you!"

"Fine. Then I can go back to my original plan or possessing or torturing her for information. That works just as well." Lloyd groaned.

"Fine. I'm worried that Lydia will find out I have a crush on her." Morro raised an eyebrow.

"Why? If she doesn't know you like her, she probably won't like you back."

"…how does that work?"

"I dunno. But maybe she feels the exact same way. And is just too shy to tell you?" Morro raised an eyebrow. Lloyd frowned.

"I don't think so…"

"Why not? She hugged you as soon as I rescued her, and she got all embarrassed when I told you to carry her earlier. Aaaaand, are you suuuuure the only reason she avoided you was because she didn't want to tell you about your future? Maybe there's something else she's hiding from you."

"Wait, how did you know about her avoiding me?"

"You were thinking about her when I possessed you. It was easy to find out more information related to her."

"Oh." Lloyd frowned. He did have a point… "Wait. Are you… trying to play cupid?" Instead of denying it, Morro grinned.

"Why not?"

"That's just… I did not expect that from you."

"Why not?"

"Lydia's description of you made you sound more… cold-hearted. Evil. You trying to play cupid between two of your prisoners is the farthest thing from what I expected from you."

"What can I say? I'm unpredictable."

"Apparently." Morro sped up again to walk with the other ghosts- apparently their conversation was over. Lloyd glanced down at the girl in his arms again. Still asleep. Good. He would be really embarrassed to have accidently admitted he had a crush on her while he thought she was asleep. Glancing up at Morro again, he let out a slow breath. Despite what Lydia had said about him, he… really didn't seem all that bad of a guy. Maybe he could be redeemed after all.

* * *

 **Morro stop**

 **~FFF**

 **P.S. Anyone else play Town of Salem?**


	18. Nerf Yang plz

**I lov school**

 **Review Replies:**

 **RandomDragon: Morro is having far too much fun.**

 **KitKat: Town of Salem is an online, multiplayer game that's really pretty fun. I'd advise checking it out.  
**

 **Tex: One update coming right up~!**

 **Spitfirewaterninja: Unfortunately for Lloyd, not like that ;P**

 **Mikki: He's a hopeless romantic.**

 **Entity: HAHA yes I am. It was just... she doesn't have the power of infinite expanses, I just couldn't think of anything cooler to call her power ("elemental master of sucking energy out of things" doesn't have quite the same ring to it).**

 **Ebony: They're getting close! Too bad everything's going to fall apart in a couple chapters. No spoiler hehe xd**

 **NinjagoMLP: he's doing it for entertainment value xd**

 **I stayed up until 11:30 last night writing this. That probably was what caused my weird dream about trying to make a hotel in a void.**

* * *

Chapter 18

"Pineapple on pizza is a gift to mankind!"

"Wrong! Pineapple on pizza is a dark scar on humanity!"

"Have you ever even _eaten_ pineapple on pizza?"

" _Of course_ I have! I'm not THAT out of touch with modern society!"

"Then you know that it's wonderful!"

"No! Fruit doesn't belong on pizza!"

" _Tomato_ is a fruit!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is! If the seeds are on the inside, it's a fruit!"

"I like peas and mayonnaise on pizza."

" _What?_ " This lovely conversation was what Lydia was blessed enough to wake up to, and she cracked one eye open to see Morro gaping at Wrayth, who was sitting in the corner looking defensive.

"What? I bet you've _never had_ peas and mayonnaise on pizza." The chain wielder crossed his arms.

"No, I haven't. But that sounds disgusting!" Lloyd protested from above her.

"I guess you guys don't even want to hear about banana pizza." Bansha muttered.

" _What?_ " The three others whirled to look at her.

"I don't like it. Just noting that it exists." The blade mistress muttered, going back to sharpening her blade.

"That's disgusting." Morro huffed. "And so is pineapple on pizza."

"Is not!" Lloyd protested. "You're just closed-minded!"

"You're a heathen!"

"Says the guy who goes around possessing people!"

"Hey, when did this get to be about me?"

"When you made that comment." Lydia summoned the loudest voice she could muster, and yelled,

"Hey! Quiet down! Can't you see I'm asleep?" Everyone in the room jumped at her outburst, and Lloyd looked down at her guiltily.

"Oops. Sorry. Did we wake you up?"

"Yes." She deadpanned. "And, by the way, pineapple on pizza is great."

" _Thank_ you." Lloyd sounded satisfied.

"Great. You're perfect for each other." Morro folded his arms. "Get a room." Lydia snorted.

"'Get a room' because… you don't want to hear about how much Lloyd and I loooooove pineapple pizza?" Lydia wiggled her eyebrows.

"What about peas and mayonnaise? What do you think about that?" Wrayth asked hopefully.

"Never tried it." Lydia shook her head. "But it can't be that bad." Morro cringed.

"I don't know you anymore."

"Does that mean I can leave?"

"Unless you wanna fall in the void again, no."

"I'll pass." Lydia shifted and leaned back against Lloyd's shoulder. "So… did I miss anything while I was asleep?"

"Morro tried to have a normal conversation with Lloyd." Bansha replied flatly. "It escalated into a fight about whether or not pineapple on pizza was acceptable. That was when they woke you up. Otherwise, not much."

"Figures." Lydia glanced around the room, which looked like a dormitory. "Where are we?"

"A bedroom, I think." Lloyd shrugged. "We're gonna chill here for a while."

"Last time we did that, we almost died." Lydia raised one eyebrow.

"Yeah, but we've already done water." Morro countered. "And unless Lloyd is afraid of sand or something…" Lydia and Lloyd both started giggling, and the ghost boy raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny about sand."

"N… nothing. 'Afraid of sand' just reminds me of a line from one of the Fritz Donnegan movies." Lloyd snickered. Lydia twisted her head to look up at him.

"Really?"

"Yeah. 'I hate sand. It's rough, and course, and irritating, and it gets in everything'." Lloyd quoted. Lydia burst out laughing.

"Th- That's basically the same line from one of the movies I've seen on earth!" She chortled.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah!"

"Ha!" Morro looked unimpressed as they laughed.

"If you two are finished geeking out…"

"What? It's not like we have anything else to do." Lydia side-eyed him.

"Lloyd could tell us what Yang is most likely to target him with."

"You still haven't told us your fears." The brunette crossed her arms.

"You admitted yours readily enough. Why doesn't he?"

"Why don't _you?_ " Morro didn't appear to have an answer for that.

"Well… you guessed." He said at last.

"Yeah, then you got all tilted and looked like you were about to break my neck." Morro frowned.

"…'tilted'?"

"It means… to get mad because you're doing badly in a game, then play worse because of it. But I typically use it as a synonym for 'angry'."

"Oh." He still looked confused, but didn't question her further.

"Anyway. What was your point? That I should guess Lloyd's?"

"I guess."

"Lloyd, are you okay with me guessing?" Lydia asked, tilting her head back to look up at him.

"Hey, how come you didn't ask me?" Morro asked with a scowl.

"You kidnapped me. Lloyd didn't." She replied bluntly. The ghost boy huffed.

"Whatever."

"It's okay. You can guess." Lloyd nodded a bit.

"Okay. Well… since Lloyd had a tough childhood, and arguably even worse teenage years, I'd guess he has… a lot of fears. A few possible ones are losing people close to him, being alone, darkness, possibly trying to fight a hopeless battle, maybe even specific individuals, like the Overlord." She glanced up at the blond, but his face gave no clue as to what he was thinking. "I don't know a lot of details about his childhood, or things that could have stuck with him. Being powerless is a possibility too I guess."

"He's powerless right now." Morro pointed out, gesturing to his cuffs.

"I don't mean powerless as in 'doesn't have powers'. I mean _literally_ powerless. Like, trapped, exhausted, no way out."

"Well… I should think everyone's afraid of that at some level."

"But I mean like as a phobia. Like, something Yang could use to attack him. And us, for that matter."

"I guess. But-" Morro broke off as the temple shook. "Uh… anyone else feel that?"

"I did." Lydia confirmed. "Anyone afraid of… earthquakes, or something…?"

"Nope." Lloyd shook his head. "Just sand." He grinned, and Lydia snickered, well aware that he was trying to change the subject. Morro scowled at them.

"Stop making the stupid sand jokes. You're being a couple of nerds."

"Is that a problem?" Lydia grinned, raising one eyebrow. "Maybe you're just jealous you can't-" The brunette broke off as the ground shook again, this time more violently. "…okay."

"Maybe we should get out of here." Bansha spoke up. "Before we fall through the floor again." Lydia swallowed. Yeah, that wasn't an experience that she cared to repeat.

"We're on an upper level, though." Morro told her. "If we fell through, I'd catch us before we hit the floor below."

"Oh. Good." Lydia relaxed a bit. "Then-" Before she could finish, the temple rocked violently, sending her flying off Lloyd's lap.

"What in the-" Wrayth started, but didn't have a chance to finish as a wall slammed down between them, cutting him and Bansha off from the rest of the group. Lydia's mouth dropped open, and she turned to meet Lloyd's eyes to see him looking equally shocked. She heard another rumble, then arms wrapped around her from behind, yanking her backwards just in time as a wall slammed down between her and Lloyd, which would have crushed her left if she had not been pulled out of the way.

She barely had time to glance over her shoulder to see who was with her – Morro – before the floor dropped out from underneath them. She let out a shriek, but, as promised, Morro caught them, lowering them gently to the ground as the walls raised and fell around them. Lydia watched with wide eyes as the rearranging slowed, then stopped.

"That's _fascinating!_ " She exclaimed. "I had no idea Yang could do that! I wonder why." Morro took a breath to speak, but Lydia kept going. "Obviously targeting you or Lloyd. Do you have a secret fear of being alone with a brat with a busted ankle who geeks out about moving walls?" Morro let out a bark of laughter.

"No."

"Didn't think so. Probably targeting Lloyd. Likely… he was cut off from Wrayth and Bansha too, a fear of being alone? Or being abandoned? Or maybe Yang got him alone so he could make him face his fear on his own." Lydia shook her head. "Whatever the case, we need to find him."

"But you can't walk." Morro pointed out.

"Then carry me." The ghost sighed, but let go of her, stepping back and lifted his hand. She lifted up into the air.

"Whee." She remarked.

"Glad you're having fun. Now let's find the others before it's too late." Morro turned and walked towards one of the new passages, the brunette floating after him. Morro was right. She didn't know how long she had been asleep, but it had probably been a while. The clock was ticking. They needed to group together, beat Morro's fear, and get out of here before they all became Yang's slaves.

* * *

 **Oh, you forgot that if they're actually TRAPPED in Yang's temple they become Yang's slaves for eternity? Haha. Well, they do.**

 **~FFF**


	19. Kid Are You Okay

**btw when I said "I lov school" last time I updated that was sarcasm I don't lov school**

 **Review replies:**

 **Ebony: I think it was more like... a shelter, really. Because the world was ending or something. Skedaddling has unfortunately been pushed back another chapter. ;P**

 **RandomDragon: Everyone who commented on me and Morro being stuck together seems to think that we're gonna do something... inappropriate. Like fall madly in love. It's just the way you guys phrased it. And honestly, I think we were originally going to have some sort of heartfelt conversation while we were alone, but... it didn't end up being written. Oh well.**

 **Entity: School... keeps anxiety... away? Sounds unrealistic. Yeah, space doesn't fit either, and vacuum kinda falls along those lines, yeah.**

 **Kitkat: Ha! Yeah. Everything.**

 **Spitfire: Yeah, if being a ghost isn't bad enough? You get to be a slave too! Aww, thank you! I'm glad you like how I write him, I've been kinda nervous about getting him wrong.**

* * *

Chapter 19

"So, out of the five of us, four of us have already been hit, including Lloyd, which presumably is happening as we speak." Lydia reasoned, floating behind Morro with her legs crossed. "And night fell approximately six hours ago, at 10 PM. Since it's summer, we can assume the sun will rise around 6 AM. That gives us approximately two hours left. And considering Yang probably wants us to be enslaved… he'll hit you just before time up. So I doubt you'll have to worry about getting attacked for a while."

"Hmm." Morro kept walking, not really acknowledging her.

"I wonder what else he can do with his temple. Him dropping me into the void was clearly intentional." She continued. "Can he repair the hole he made at will? Likely so. I wonder if he's magically bonded to the temple, since this is where he cursed himself and his students. And what's with the pocket realm? He make this, or did it appear when he was cursed, or-"

"Hold on." Morro interrupted. "He cursed himself?"

"Yeah. I don't remember all the details, but, he was trying to have eternal life or something, and technically he succeeded. But now he's dead. And I guess he cursed his temple too."

"Huh." It sounded like he was paying slightly more attention now. "Then he invented Airjitzu?"

"No, Airjitzu came first. Then wanting to be immortal."

"Oh." They were both silent for a little while.

"I wonder if he can read minds." Lydia wondered aloud after a moment. "He can obviously figure out people's fears. Is that all he can do, or can he read thoughts as well? How DOES he figure out fears? Was he a Master of Mind in life? Did he get the ability to read minds when he cursed himself? Morro, you don't know any ghosts who can read minds, do you?" Morro was silent for a moment before answering.

"Other than the Preeminent, no."

"Didn't think so. So how does he do it?" The brunette mulled over this for a few minutes, muttering to herself. After a while, she spotted a clock as they passed it. "Uh oh."

"What?" Morro glanced back at her.

"We have less time than I thought." She pointed at the clock, which read ten minutes past five. "50 minutes rather than 2 hours."

"Well that's just great." Morro sped up a bit. "This is bad. We're running out of time, our group is almost completely separated, and we have no idea how to get out."

"Yep. Pretty bad." She paused. "Do you think there's any harm in calling out? Yang can already hear everything we say, and we're the only ones here. Our group, I mean." Morro frowned.

"…good point. Go ahead."

"Okay. Lloyd! Bansha, Wrayth!" She called down the hallway. After a moment, there was an answering call, from not very far away.

"Lydia?" Sounded like Bansha. "Is that you?"

"Yeah! Me and Morro are here!" She yelled. After a few moments, Wrayth and Bansha appeared around the corner at the end of the hall, followed by – to their surprise – Lloyd.

"Lloyd!" Lydia exclaimed, moving to stand before remembering that she was floating. "Are you okay? What happened?" Morro set her down on the floor as Lloyd hurried over, and she noted that his eyes were red and puffy as she braced a hand on the wall and pushed herself to her feet.

"I-I'm okay. I mean, I'm not hurt." He slowed and stopped in front of her, and she grabbed him in a hug, which was quickly returned.

"What happened?" she asked as he buried his face in her shoulder.

"I… he got with me three fears at once."

"What? How'd he pull that off?"

"I'm… you were right when you guessed I have a lot of fears. I do. I'm afraid of being alone, being lost, and being betrayed.

"Betrayed?" She echoed.

"I… I saw Kai. Like he was when he tried to take the staff in the Tournament of Elements. I… thought it was really him for a minute." He sniffled, and Lydia gave him a squeeze.

"At least it's over." He tightened his grip on her as well.

"Okay lovebirds, break it up." Morro clapped his hands together. "Let's move. We have ground to cover."

"Okay, first of all, I already told you: Lloyd and I aren't dating." Lydia lifted her head to glare at him over Lloyd's shoulder. "Secondly-"

"That was _yesterday_." Morro interrupted. "Your relationship status could have changed by then."

"You've been with us – well, with me anyway – the whole time! How could we have started dating without you noticing? Secondly, we don't have ground to cover. We have no real destination."

"Whatever." Morro rolled his eyes. "Just quit hugging."

"Fine." She pulled away, but left her hands on his shoulders so she didn't fall over. "I assume by the fact that you put me down you want him to carry me again?"

"Yep." Morro turned away and started walking again. Lloyd rubbed his sleeve across his face, then reached down to put an arm under her knees and scooped her up again. Her injured ankle knocked against the wall as he did, and she sucked in a pained breath.

"Sorry!" He exclaimed, backing away from the wall.

"It's okay." She lifted her foot to look at it, and winced. "Yikes. Now it looks even worse. I wonder if it's broken."

"All you did was step in a hole, so I doubt it. But it's possible. It does look pretty bad." Lloyd shook his head, following Morro.

"Great." They were both silent for a while. Finally, Lloyd started,

"Lydia, I… have something to tell you."

"Mm-hmm?" Lydia looked up. Lloyd took a deep breath.

"I-" Thunder rumbled ahead of them, and they looked up in surprise as Morro froze in his tracks. Everyone else stopped too, and for a moment, everything was silent. Then thunder boomed again, and Morro stumbled to his right, bracing one hand on the wall.

"Storms?" Lydia said aloud. "That's your fear?" Morro stiffened, but nodded. She hadn't seen that one coming. It must have been from his early childhood – a young, homeless, orphan boy would rightfully be afraid of storms. Ahead of them, the hallway was darkening.

"This is the last fear." The brunette pointed to the dark hall. "We need to go through there to find Yang." Morro didn't move. "Morro, come on. We have to go through there, or all of this will have been pointless!" Morro only lowered his head, hiding his face. Frowning, Lydia squirmed in Lloyd's arms. "Put me down."

"But you can't walk!" he protested.

"I'll hop. Help me over to him." Grudgingly, he set her down, holding her arm so she didn't fall over as she made her way over to Morro. As soon as she was close enough, she put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "Morro, you're not going to give up, are you?" He was silent for a moment, then raised his head, staring at the hall.

"Let's go." He said, starting forward without looking at her. The others obeyed, following him into the hall. A few feet inside, a flash of light lit up the hall for a half-second, then thunder crashed. Morro flinched, stumbling, but kept going.

Halfway down the corridor, an actual lightning bolt struck the ground in front of them, a deafening _crack_ of thunder resounding directly after. Morro gasped, stumbling back and bumping into Lydia. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"Come on. We're halfway there." Morro squeezed his eyes shut, but let her pull him along. With every peal of thunder, he went slower, until finally he refused to move at all. "Come on, Morro! You're a ninja, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not a ninja!" He snarled, yanking his hand away. "I failed! I'm nothing! I'm just a ******* slave!"

"If we don't get through here and out before sunrise, we'll _all_ become Yang's slaves!" She yelled back. "Is that what you want? To be trapped here forever?!" Morro opened his mouth to yell back, but she went on. "You _are_ a ninja! You're probably the best ninja in the _world!_ Are you going to let yourself be beaten by an old geezer with a house full of party tricks?!"

"YES!" He looked like he was on the verge of breaking down.

"Well I'm not!" Lydia grabbed his wrist, dragging him forward. He ripped his arm out of her grasp, but Bansha and Wrayth grabbed him from behind, shoving him forward.

"STOP IT!" He screamed, fighting. "GET AWAY!" He struggled, but couldn't break away.

"Morro, come to your senses!" Bansha snapped. "We cannot fail! The rest of us faced our fears, so must you!"

"I WON'T! GET AWAY!" His eyes were shut tight, and he was fighting madly, so violently that Lydia doubted he could even hear them.

"Morro-" she started, but he screamed,

"GET _AWAY!_ " And threw them all back with a gust of wind, tossing them 20 feet down the hall. Lydia landed hard, her injured ankle slamming against the floor, and she let out a yelp, tears springing to her eyes. When the pain from her ankle died down, she looked up to see Morro sinking to the ground, curling up in a ball and burying his face in his arms. Poor thing. Despite him acting the meanest out of all of them, he was the most scared of all. Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, she pushed herself up again, limping over to Morro and sitting down next to him.

It was starting to drizzle, water dripping through the ceiling boards and collecting in Morro's hair and running down his face and arms. That… was impossible. An illusion, a physical one, just like everything else in this stupid temple. She put a hand on his shoulder, and he jerked away.

"Morro, when this storm ends, we'll be trapped here." She said quietly. "Forever. We need to get out of here."

"What's the use?" He mumbled. "It's no worse than the Cursed Realm. If I mess up anywhere else, I'll be trapped back there anyway."

"This is far worse than the Cursed Realm! You don't have a Realm to wander around in, just this dinky temple, and you'll have to wait on Yang and obey his every command!" She didn't actually know exactly how it worked, but it had to be something along those lines. "You don't want that. _I_ don't want that. I'd rather jump in the void then have to wait on Yang for eternity!" Honestly, she _would_ jump in the void just to spite him. "Please, Morro. We can't go on without you. We need you to help us get out." Thunder rumbled, and he was silent for a few, long moments. Finally, he lifted his head and stood, turning and offering her a hand up.

"You're right. If we don't get out of here, nothing we do will matter ever again." He said as she accepted it and he pulled her to her feet. "Let's get Airjitzu and get out of here."

* * *

 **Lloyd: I am going to confess my love to my crush**

 **Yang: lol no**

 **So that was kinda a sucky place to end the chapter... but it was already 8 pages (of notebook paper, a normal chapter is 5 1/2 or so) and still going strong, so I just cut it off.**

 **~FFF**


	20. That's Probably a Good Sign

**woo chapter 20**

 **Review replies:**

 **RandomDragon: I had the idea for it reading one of your reviews lol. Why? I don't remember. And yeah, you would give Lloyd a heart attack. I don't think Morro has a heart (no flame he seriously doesn't have a heart).**

 **Spitfire: *ok hand emoji***

 **Entity: Fair. College starts for me tomorrow lol. Which means... homework. Fun. I bet cookies would be great for Morro's mental health.**

 **NinjagoMLP: Never forget that eventually I have to break his heart when I tell him I'm in love with Morro.**

 **Ebony: PFFT. I'm trying to imagine Morro's reaction to that.**

 **Kitkat: Maybe a little bit.**

 **What is proofreading lul**

* * *

Morro blew out a soft breath as they exited the dark hallway, hanging his head a bit. It was over. Even though they couldn't have been in that hallway for more than five minutes, it had felt like forever.

He didn't looka t any of the others as he slowed to a stop, his cheeks darkening slightly. His reaction to his fear had been far worse than any of the others. Even Lydia, who should be the most weak and frightened out of all of them. The rest of them were seasoned warriors! He had made a fool of himself. Worse, he had allowed himself to show weakness in front of his prisoners. He would have to repair the damage he had done.

"Morro?" He looked up at Lydia's voice, who was balancing on one foot as she clung to his arm. "Come on. We're almost out of time." He nodded, starting forward again, and they passed into a small, candle-lit room. Lydia gasped.

"This is Yang's dojo! I recognize it! He might be…" She trailed off as a ghost faded into sight in front of them, his hands clasped behind his back. He had a long, black beard, and dark markings around his eyes.

"As iron sharpens iron," He said, his voice eerie. "Sensei sharpens student. Yes, my child, I know your opinion of that statement." He added as Lydia opened her mouth to complain. "You five have passed my test, and for that, I grant you this." He held out a scroll, and Morro took it with a nod of thanks.

"How do you determine whether or not someone passes?" Lydia piped up. "Do you have a time limit, or…"

"They must face their fear in order to reach me in time." Was Yang's reply. "They must overcome it. Some of you… barely passed." He eyed Morro, who hung his head.

"But… how could I 'overcome' falling in the void? I couldn't get out of there by myself. I was in real danger!"

"On the contrary. I knew your friend would save you."

"But how could you test me? And I think 'friend' is stretching it." Morro frowned a bit. Was it? Did he consider her a friend?

"It's not. And, as you earlier guessed, I can read minds." Lydia's mouth dropped open.

"So you… know everything about me."

"And you know a fair amount about me, it appears." Yang smiled. "For which, I will let you and your friends go without consequence." Lydia frowned.

"Wait… really? You're gonna let us go, just like that, for… knowing about you?"

"More to heighten your opinion of me, really." He stepped back. "Now go. I cannot control the temple's curse. Leave now before you become trapped forever." Lydia nodded.

"Thank you!" Morro heard rumbling, and turned to see the walls rearranging outside the dojo, leaving a single hallway.

"Come on." Lloyd scooped up Lydia and started down the hallway, and Morro nodded to Yang in respect before following. The hall had a few twists, but no forks or other passages, and eventually lead them directly to the front door. When they opened it, they found the sky a beautiful shade of pink, the sun just about to rise.

"We made it!" Lydia cheered. "That was… a lot less nerve-wracking than it was in the original timeline. That was so easy it's almost alarming."

"What happened in the original timeline?" Lloyd asked.

"Cole made it out a couple seconds too late. He was turned into a ghost." Lloyd flinched.

"Oh."

"There was a lot of running and screaming. I guess Yang isn't as much as a jerk as I thought since he just… let us out." Lydia shrugged. "Whatever. All the better I guess."

"What now?" Bansha asked, turning back to Morro.

"Back to the cave, so Lydia can tell us what the next clue means." Morro unraveled the scroll, skimming the contents. It was a dozen drawings of figures, with some notes scrawled around the edges. Rolling it back up, he copied the figures, a green bubble forming around him and causing him to lift into the air. Lydia watched with wide eyes as he rose 10 feet in the air, then floated back down.

"You know, I can't understand why you _need_ Airjitzu." She said at last. "You already have _two other ways_ to fly. Did the firspinjitzumaster just assume that whoever found the message wouldn't have a dragon? No, that's stupid. Wu was supposed to find it. So what the heck…?" Morro shrugged.

"Let's just get moving. I want to be back to the cave by noon."

"Cool." Lydia hid a yawn behind her hand. "Can we get takeout on the way back? I'm hungry."

"No. But I'll get us something to eat."

"Cool."

The walk back was very long, and very quiet. They were all tired and hungry, and all Morro wanted to do was to fly back to the cave and rest. But he couldn't, he was the others' only way up to the cave. So he stayed with them.

After an hour, Lydia fell asleep, and Morro found himself thinking about her. She had tried everything to get him to face his fear, and yet he had still acted like a frightened child. He was an idiot. But why did she act so nice to him? Just to get him to move, to save her own skin? No, it was more than that. She was genuinely concerned for him, just like she had been with the others. Why? Why did she care? She had been a jerk to him before he kidnapped her, one would think that she would like him _less_ now, not more. And yet she seemed to sincerely like him…

About half an hour later, they arrived at the cliffs that hit their hideout, and Morro carried them up. Once inside, Morro cuffed Lloyd to his cage and soon found a corner in which to drop off to sleep.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"Yes, yes, it's working!" Kai exclaimed, looking at the x in the reflection of the map on the blade. The other ninja crowded around, watching with wide eyes as the fire ninja marked the spot on the map with a red pen. "That's why the reason no one could ever find the tomb in Ninjago. It's under the ocean!"

* * *

 **Well someone needs to HURRY THE HECK UP**

 **~FFF**


	21. Hey Question What The HECK

**what happened to all my guest reviewers. where did they go. more than half of the reviews I got used to be guest ones. what happened.**

 **Review replies:**

 **RandomDragon: Yeah, true. Though, if the FSM knew the future, wouldn't he know that his son wouldn't find it for years and years? And could have given him some clue? Heck, why did he give him the clue at all? Wu doesn't need the Realm Crystal. All it's done is cause trouble. And yeah, airjitzu is a far better ninja skill, but there's no need to be stealthy when getting into the Blind Man's Eye, which was the reason it was needed(?).**

 **Draconis: Ayy! Hi! Trust me, there's going to be plenty more character development in the next few chapters.**

 **Entity: College. I'm taking an english class while im still in high school so I can get my degree sooner. xd We'll... we'll see how it happens. At this point, I don't know. I'm just letting my characters take the wheel.**

 **Spitfire: There's quite a bit of mutual softening-up going on.**

 **Kat: Yay, another live reader! I feel you. I'm really bad at reviewing myself haha.**

 **NinjagoMLP: At this point? The tomb scene will be VERY different. If Morro ever gets there. Trust me, though, there will be plenty of betrayal and angst.**

 **Ebony: Lol yeah, I know why LEGO put airjitzu in. To add a new element. And yeah, my personal hc is that using elemental powers takes mental energy, while Airjitzu is a martial arts move and therefore requires physical energy. And yeah. His DotD plans are pretty much ruined now lol. If I... ACTUALLY got sent to ninjago, I would never work up the nerve to talk to anyone, much less the ninja, and would eventually starve to death in a gutter.**

 **Kitkat: Maybe ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

* * *

 _"Take my hand!"_

 _"Why?! So you can take the Realm Crystal, and use it to find your own prize pupil?!"_

 _"You are all my prized pupils! But none of us can do this alone! You're strong, Morro, but it takes others to make us stronger. Even me! Take my hand, so we can be stronger together!"_

 _"…"_

 _"Please, Morro!"_

 _"…you can only save those who want to be saved._

 _Goodbye, Sensei."_

Lydia jerked up, covering her mouth to keep from gasping. She blinked in the darkness, but it didn't help her to see any better. It was pitch black.

"Well." She muttered under her breath. "That was a rather unfriendly reminder that Morro is going to die."

"Huh?" Lloyd mumbled from next to her, half-asleep.

"Nothing. Never mind." She patted his shoulder, and he mumbled something incoherent before going back to sleep. Standing up and bracing her hand on the wall, Lydia limped out of the room. She needed some fresh air.

As she was trying to find her way out to the cliff's edge, she stopped at the sight of Morro sitting on the floor in their sort of meeting room, examining the scroll of Airjitzu in the light of his own glow. He looked deep in thought, so she quietly limped past. However, just as she thought she had moved out of sight, he called,

"Who's there?" She stopped, backing up a foot.

"Just me." She called back.

"Lydia?" He stood up. "What are you doing up?"

"I woke up from a… weird dream. And I'm hungry." She eyed the table in the center of the room, seeing something that might possibly be food in the darkness.

"Ah." He stepped closer to the table and picked something up, tossing it to her. She somehow caught it.

"What's this?" She asked, squinting at it.

"Dried meat."

"Figures." She limped into the meeting room and sat down against the wall, stretching out her injured leg before starting to try to open the package. Morro took a few steps closer, frowning at her ankle.

"You really shouldn't be walking around. How does your foot feel?"

"Eh. A little better, I think." She got the package open and pulled out what looked and smelled like beef jerky. Hmm.

"Here." Morro sat down in front of her and reached towards her ankle, stopping when she drew her foot back warily. "I got a real bandage for your ankle." He held up a roll of cloth. "Can I trade it for your current one so I can have my sash back?" He smirked, but not in a malicious way, and she nodded, pondering his apparent concern for her as he gently unwrapped the green fabric from her ankle and set it aside. "It looks even more swollen than it did." He said with a sigh. Lydia squinted at her ankle in the darkness, but she couldn't tell.

"I'll have to take your word for it. I can barely see." She said with a shrug.

"Well, it is. You really should stay off it for a few days." She wrinkled her nose.

"I don't wanna have to ask someone to carry me any time I wanna go somewhere."

"Well… maybe I can get you some crutches." Morro started wrapping her ankle with the wider, courser bandage. She watched quietly, observing that he was careful not to pull too tight. He'd done this before. Maybe Sensei taught him? Once he was finished, he looked up at her. "How does that feel?"

"Snug, but not too tight. Thanks." She took a bite of the meat. "Wow. That's tough." She mumbled with her mouth full. Morro chuckled.

"Well, as long as you're up… what does the next clue mean?" She swallowed before answering.

"The sword in the cloud? That means…" She trailed off.

"What? Don't you remember?" Morro frowned.

"I do, I just…" She stared at the package in her hand, her dream coming back to her. "…no."

"No what?"

"I can't tell you what it means. I won't."

"What? Why not?"

"Because I can't let you die."

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm already dead."

"If you continue along this path, you die!" She snapped. "And I don't mean go-back-to-the-Cursed-Realm-and-try-again die. I mean you're be _gone!_ _Forever!_ "

"What do- how?"

"You succeed in summoning the Preeminent. Then Nya kills the Preeminent, throws her into the ocean. Your master drags you down with her. The Cursed Realm dies, and you die with it. But I can't let you die!" She struggled to her feet, leaning against the wall. "I've watched you die twice already! I'm not letting it happen again!"

"Shut up!" Morro snapped, shooting to his feet as well. "I'm not just gonna give up! Anyway, how do I know you're not just lying to me?!" She opened her mouth to reply, but he went on. "Even if I did, what would I do? Give myself up to the ninja? Turn myself in for my crimes?!"

"Why not? They forgave Lloyd and took him in, why not you?"

"Because they know what I'm _going_ to do, thanks to you, if what I've already done isn't bad enough!" He shot back. "Why do you care, anyway?! If you are telling the truth, why do you care about the man who kidnapped you and tried to hurt your friends?!"

"Because I loved you!" She snapped. He froze.

"Wait. What?"

"I loved you." She repeated, crossing her arms. "I don't know if I still do. But I did when I watched you die the second time."

"Wh- why?"

"To be honest, I don't know. It's not like you really deserve it. I guess I started feeling sorry for you, then that turned to affection, and that turned into love."

"Were we… close?"

"No. I'd never met you."

"You fell in love with someone you'd never met?"

"It happens more than you'd think." Morro blew out a frustrated breath.

"Alright. So, assuming you're not lying to me… if you loved me, why were you such a jerk to me when I was your prisoner?"

"You were a jerk to me, so I retaliated with being mocking and annoying."

"You _kidnapped_ me."

"To foil your evil plot!"

"Still. You can't blame me for being disagreeable."

"I suppose not. And you can't blame me for gloating. You would have done the same thing."

"Yeah, but you claim to have loved me."

"Yeah, I kinda fell out of love with you before I kidnapped you."

"Oh. So why do you care now?"

"Because you can be a good person! I've seen it!"

"I thought you said I die!"

"You do! You come back, for like half an hour!"

"What? How does that work?"

"It's a really long story and not important because it won't happen in this timeline. But, just as you are about to get dragged into the ocean, you realize you messed up! You become good!" Morro groaned.

"The world's not black and white, or good and evil. I'm trying to free myself and everyone trapped there. Does that make me evil?"

"You forgot the part where you curse the entire Realm and rule with an iron fist."

"Who says I'll rule with an iron fist? I just want to be free!"

"Then you should be happy with what you've already accomplished!"

"No I shouldn't! If I ever go out in public, I'll be killed! Just because I'm a ghost!"

"Then ask the ninja for help!"

"Why would they help me?"

"Because they're good people! They're quick to help people, even if those people used to be their enemies!"

"Even if they would, I swore allegiance to the Preeminent." Morro crossed his arms, turning away. "I can't break my promise."

"Normally I would be against breaking promises. But the Preeminent is a lying, manipulative, abusive ruler! You need to just get away from her!" Lydia didn't actually _know_ that. It was just an educated guess.

"No she isn't! She helped me! Helped me get my revenge on the one who sent me there!"

"And who would that be?"

"Lloyd's father, Lord Garmadon." Lydia clapped once.

"I knew it!"

"Wh- what?"

"I never knew how you died. I guessed Garmadon trapped you in the Caves of Despair and killed you, since you were released when he was cursed, but I couldn't be sure. How did he kill you?"

"That's not really something I like to talk about." Morro scowled.

"That's fair." She paused. "What was my point? Oh yeah. The Preeminent is an absolute jerk and you need to get _away_ from her."

"I already told you, there's no life for me in Ninjago unless it's cursed!"

"When Cole became a ghost, no one tried to kill him! Well, that's not true. Bad guys tried to kill him. But not random people!"

"What difference does that make? I'm not a ninja!"

"You could be!" Lydia groaned. "Ugh, we're going in circles. Just… just trust me. Have I lied to you yet?"

"Not as far as I know?"

"That you know of?"

"Everything I can confirm has been the truth, yes."

"See? I'm just worried about you." She reached out to put a hand on his shoulder, but he stepped away. "I swear, if you die, then I will go to the Departed Realm and I will _kill you again._ " She jabbed a threatening finger at him, and he rolled his eyes.

"You are such a weird girl."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Weird!" Morro threw his hands up in the air and turned away. "I'm going back to bed."

"Me too." Lydia started to turn, to go back to the room where Lloyd was chained, but Morro spun around, tilted her head towards him with a hand on her cheek, and leaned down and kissed her on the lips. As she froze, he straightened up, said,

"Good night, Lydia." And walked out of the room. Eyes wide, Lydia sank to the ground, hands pressed to her face.

"Oh shoot." She whispered. "I just got _kissed_ by a _boy._ "

* * *

 **MORRO WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU _DOING_ YOU CAN'T JUST. KISS A GIRL AND TRY TO PLAY MATCHMAKER BETWEEN HER AND YOUR OTHER PRISONER AT THE SAME TIME. WHAT THE HECK.**

 **~FFF**


	22. Children Please Communicate

**Whoa what the heck like 4 more readers just popped out of the woodwork where did you come from**

 **Review replies:**

 **Random Dragon: Me either. Well, I have a couple plans. (one of them involves a random dragon)**

 **Ebony: Don't ask me, I don't know.**

 **Ms. Cipher: She has a life back on earth, and it wouldn't be fair of her to ditch her readers. xd So unfortunately, she does.**

 **Plumcide: Hhhhhh I will try! very soon!**

 **Katthegracefulklutz: Me: Love triangles are so overdone. Me, at the same time: they both like her**

 **Kitkat(I have 2 kats now LOL): I loved Morro for like... 2 years. At least. Haha.**

 **Star: *thumbs up emoji***

 **Lifewhatlife: Mood**

 **Theshipper: There's too much shipping going on for Lydia's life.**

 **Entity: College is the same as university, yes. That reminds me, I need to make Lydia make a sly comment about Indigo and then laugh at Morro's confusion. Mainly that was just supposed to make him laugh xd Seriously tho, write me long reviews. I LOVE long reviews.**

 **Today's gone to heck and im tired so you don't get this proofread im sorry**

* * *

"A boy kissed me." Lydia whispered aloud, hunger forgotten as she stared with wide eyes into the pitch-blackness. "Worse, _Morro_ kissed me! What am I supposed to do?! I just got over him! Morro you jerk. Kissing me and then just… just leaving me in the… in the dark. Why am I sitting int the dark? I'm afraid of the dark."

Becoming suddenly aware of the darkness around her, Lydia scrambled to her feet, hurrying back towards Lloyd's room. Well, hurrying as well as she could with a hurt ankle. She really needed to take Morro and Lloyd's advice and stay off it. For now, though, she just inched along the wall, ears straining to pick up any sound other than her own footsteps. As she made her way into what she assumed was Lloyd's room, a rustle made her yelp in alarm.

"Hnn… Lydia?" She yelped again before realizing it was Lloyd speaking.

"Hi?"

"Are you okay? You sound… kinda freaked out." She laughed nervously.

"I'm afraid of the dark."

"Oh. Right." A pause. "If not for these stupid chains, I could make some light, but, as it is…"

"Wait." Lydia shoved a hand in her pocket, pulling out a couple keys on a chain. "I bet one of these unlocks it. I stole them from Morro earlier after we got back."

"Wh- how? Never mind. You have the key to my cuffs? We could escape!" He exclaimed.

"No, I don't want to escape." Lydia limped over to him and sat down, grabbing his arm as she squeezed her eyes shut against the dark. "We need to keep him focused on us. Me, really. If he thinks I'll give him a shortcut, he won't go after the ninja, who are making progress a lot faster. At least, I hope so."

"Oh. Good point. Here, give me the keys." She pressed them into his hand, and he chuckled. "I, uh… need my arm back too."

"Keys, arm… so picky." She muttered under her breath, letting go of his arm and leaning back against the wall. "Next thing ya know he'll be asking for food and water." He laughed, and she heard a click as his cuff came free.

"I don't suppose you have any on you?" He asked, scooting closer and creating a ball of energy in his hand. She let out a yelp at how bright it was, covering her eyes. "Sorry." He lowered the light and she peeked up at him between her fingers.

"Gimme a minute. I'll be able to see soon."

"Okay." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her up next to him, and she rested her head on his shoulder. They were both quiet for a few minutes, and eventually she was able to look at the light comfortably.

"You must really be scared of the dark." He commented at last. "Your heart is racing." She chuckled nervously.

"Haha. It was racing like that before I realized I was sitting around in pitch-blackness."

"Why? What happened?" Lydia blushed.

"Uh, well… Morro and I were having a shouting match, and in the middle of it I admitted I used to have a crush on him, and-"

"Wait, what?" The light in his hand flickered.

"That's about what his reaction was. Anyway, let me finish. When we finished arguing, he said he was going back to bed, and then he-" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "He _kissed me._ "

"What?!"

"And then he just walked off! Uuuugh. Stupid Morro. He can't just- just kiss me and run off like that! _Explain_ yourself!" She buried her face in Lloyd's chest. "That was my first kiss and he just- ugh. Real romantic, genius."

"He was… probably just trying to mess with you." Lloyd suggested after a few seconds. "Trying to throw you off. What were you arguing about?"

"I refused to tell him what the next clue means. If he keeps trying to take over the world, he's going to die for good. I was trying to convince him of that."

"Oh. Maybe he was just trying to fluster you?"

"Maybe. If so, he did a good job of it." She growled under her breath, pressing her face into his chest. "Now I have feelings for him all over again. I don't- I don't _want_ to be in love with him again. It was bad enough when I didn't know he was even real. If I fell in love with him now, I won't be able to convince myself to go home." Lloyd was silent.

"Are you going to ask him about it?" He asked at last.

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to talk to him at all now without turning into a flustered mess. What if he kisses me again? Worse, what if he kisses me in front of someone?"

"Are you sure you don't want to escape?" She sighed.

"Yeah, I'm sure."  
"Well, then… I don't know if I can do anything about it. At least I have my powers now."

"You are him are about evenly matched in a fight." She mumbled into his chest. "But he has backup. You couldn't win unless you got the others alone and killed them. Though, Bansha might be able to just screen and collapse the caves onto us. The ghosts would be fine. We wouldn't."

"The only reason I'd fight is if I was trying to escape, and that would be easiest now, while we don't know we're free." Lydia sighed again.

"I wish we could escape. I'm tired, and cold, and hungry, and homesick, and I don't know what I'm supposed do with Morro." She shifted so her cheek rested on his chest. "I don't suppose you have any relationship advice for me?"

"Sorry." Lloyd shook his head. "I've never even been in one."

"Oh well." Lydia closed her eyes. "I need to sleep. I can't chew Moro out for kissing me in the morning if I'm a sleep-deprived zombie." Lloyd laughed.

"Yeah. Do you want me to turn out the light?"

"No." She said immediately. "Not until I'm asleep, at least."

"Alright." Lloyd lowered his hand with the orb to the ground, and Lydia watched as the light from it reflected off the ceiling until she fell asleep.

* * *

 **Lydia: So Lloyd do you have any relationship advice for me**

 **Lloyd: Yeah date me**

 **Lydia: what**

 **Lloyd: what**

 **HAPPY BREAK TIME! It's time for a break in writing this so I can update TDR, write some oneshot requests, and do some school. If anyone has requested a oneshot I haven't written yet, remind me now because I've probably forgotten some.**

 **~FFF**


	23. Children Stop

**Well that didn't work great lol. I wrote one (1) thing before going back to this story. However, I did start writing a chapter of TDR last night! So you can look forward to that!**

 **Review replies:**

 **Ebony: Gosh dang it Morro. You ruin everything. Also hhhhhh I must have read the last paragraph of your review 10 times, grinning like an idiot all the while. thank you so much! that is super sweet ily**

 **Spottedfrost: Who knows? Not me. And it's an AU at this point lol.**

 **RandomDragon: Lydia darn hecked up. And yesss, random dragons are coming veeeeeeeeery soon.**

 **Spitfire: ME TOO**

 **Star: Lydia, honey...**

 **Guest: I do that :')**

 **Chantelle: What are you implying**

 **The Miraculous Seven: Poor Lloyd. Lydia is just... completely oblivious. Doesn't help that she basically thinks of Lloyd as a small delicate child she needs to protect. Not exactly boyfriend material. And thank you! I was worried that I would get criticized for making not one, but two boys be attracted to my self-insert lol.**

 **NinjagoMLP: It's Morro's fault.**

 **KitKat: She does _love_ him, technically, just... as a friend.**

* * *

"Alright wise guy," Lydia yelled, marching- well, limping – into the meeting room and interrupting Morro's conversation with the other ghosts. "What's that big idea?!" Morro stared at her blankly as she stopped, hands on her hips as she glared at him.

"What?"

"Don't you 'what' me, mister." Her eyes narrowed into slits. "You know what you did." Morro put a finger on his chin, looking up at the ceiling.

"Was it that I kidnapped you, or that I swore at you, or that I called Lloyd your boyfriend, or-"

"You _kissed_ me, numbskull!" She interrupted. The other four ghosts- Soul and Ghoultar had apparently returned while she was asleep – slowly turned to look at their boss, who raised his hands in a shrug-emoji gesture.

"I thought you'd like it. After all, you said you had a crush on me." He fluttered his eyelashes at her. She glowered.

"Yes. _Had_. Past tense. You can't just kiss a girl out of nowhere and leave her like that! _Especially_ in the dark. You _know_ I'm afraid of the dark." She jabbed a finger at him, and he raised his hands in surrender.

"I forgot. Why were you wandering around in the dark if you're afraid of it?"

"I'm not afraid unless I think about my fear of the dark. Unfortunately, that's where my train of thought lead me after you ran off." She turned away, as if ending their conversation. "By the way, I stole your keys. Lloyd's halfway across Ninjago by now."

" _What?!_ " Morro thundered. Lydia flinched. Loud. She glanced over her shoulder to see him digging in a pocket, then looking up at her in shock. "You slimy-"

"Kidding." She interrupted. "He's in the cave behind me. I just thought you deserved that after kissing me." Morro groaned, dragging a hand down his face.

"I was just having a little fun, okay? Get over it."

"'Fun', huh? At my expense." She crossed her arms. "I did steal your keys, though. And Lloyd's unchained. He just stayed because I asked him to."

"And why would you do that?" He raised an eyebrow. She shrugged.

"Someone's gotta keep you out of trouble."

"You are my prisoners, not my babysitters!" Morro stomped his foot. Lydia chose not to point out the childishness of the gesture, saying instead,

"I don't think captors are supposed to kiss their prisoners." He groaned.

"If I apologize, will you let it go?" She 'hmm'ed.

"For now."

"Then I'm sorry for kissing you."

"You're forgiven." Lydia turned and limped away, back into Lloyd's room where the boy in question was waiting.

"Was the pain in your ankle worth it?" He asked as she plopped down onto the floor.

"To chew Morro out? Absolutely. I've been looking for a chance to yell at him for weeks." Lloyd raised an eyebrow.

"He captured us less than a week ago."

"What's your point?" Lydia lay down on her back, sighing as she spread her arms out on the cool stone. "Now we're in a slightly less precarious position, since you can fight if the need arises. We're not completely helpless."

"Yeah." Lloyd crossed his arms. "If we really wanted to be safe, we would have escaped last night. Our best chance is gone now."

"I'm sure I can get through to Morro. I just need time. And…" She flipped her greasy, unwashed hair with her hand, fluttering her eyes at him with a grin. "My natural charms won't hurt either." He laughed, but it sounded forced, and she frowned. "You okay?"

"Oh? Yeah, I'm fine." He ran a hand through his own hair. "I mean, as fine as I can be locked up by a possibly crazy and murderous ghost, right?" He let out another forced laugh, and Lydia turned her eyes to the ceiling. Maybe they should escape after all. Lloyd sounded a bit desperate.

"I guess." She answered after a minute. "He's not… doing anything to you while I'm asleep or not around, is he?"

"No." Lloyd shook his head. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason. Paranoia." Lydia casually averted her gaze. "I'm just gonna… lie here for a while. Let my foot rest for once. You wanna go get some food or something?"

"Oh yeah." Lloyd rubbed his stomach. "Probably a good idea to eat something before I starve to death." He chuckled nervously, standing up and turning away.

"Don't let Morro sneak up on you, okay? I don't think he's too happy about you being able to run around free." Lydia warned him, and he nodded before leaving the room. Sighing, Lydia laid her head back and closed her eyes. Time for another long, boring day.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

Morro's conversation halted as Lloyd came into view, stopping in the 'doorway' with all eyes on him. They regarded each other for a few moments, Morro's eyes flickering down to his unbound wrists before saying,

"You want something?"

"Food." Lloyd replied bluntly. Shrugging, Morro grabbed a package from the table, tossing it to him. The blond caught it. Dried meat. Morro turned back to his advisors, but didn't speak as Lloyd didn't move from the doorway. Finally, he said,

"Did you want something else?"

"Yes." Lloyd took a step closer, causing all five ghosts to tense. Clearly they thought he was going to attack them. "Why make a move on the girl you claim to want me to be with?" Morro looked taken aback for a moment, but recovered quickly.

"I thought kissing her might inspire you to make your move while you could." He raised an eyebrow. "Since Lydia didn't mention anything of the sort, I suppose I can assume you didn't."

"You assume correctly." Lloyd narrowed his eyes. "Were you really just trying to make me jealous? What if she was so embarrassed that she didn't tell me?"

"Then surely you would notice her discomfort and rush to comfort her, fanning the flames of her feelings for you." Morro clasped his hands to his chin, fluttering his eyes at the ceiling. Lloyd gave him a blank stare.

"Now you're just mocking me. And Lydia _slept in my arms_ last night, and still hasn't shown any signs of liking me like that."

"I should think that's a sign in itself!" Morro threw his hands up in the air.

"No, she was scared and confused, and I'm the only one she trusts. Of course she came to me for comfort. Besides," He created an orb of light in his palm. "I can be her personal nightlight." Morro sighed, but chuckled.

"Fair enough I guess. But seriously. That girl can read actions from 20 years ago to see what you'll have for breakfast, but she's oblivious to what's right in front of her. She's not gonna figure out you like her on her own." Lloyd sighed.

"Yeah, probably not. Wait a minute, why am I taking relationship advice from _you?_ Have you even _been_ in a romantic relationship?"

"Of _course_ I have! A few, actually!" Morro crossed his arms. "Most men in the Cursed Realm are far older than me, I was rather sought-after as boyfriend material!"

"Were you ever in a relationship where you liked someone because of what she was _like_ , rather than just because she was hot?" Morro blinked.

"Are you calling me shallow?"

"Among other things, yeah."

"Well that's just hurtful." The ghost boy huffed. "And as a matter of fact, I have. Ask Bansha." Lloyd raised an eyebrow, turning to the female general.

"You dated Morro?" She sighed.

"Briefly. I'm still not certain we were ever really dating. He's over a hundred years my junior." Lloyd flinched.

"That… is a bit of an age gap, yeah." Morro raised his hands in the air.

"We're immortal! It doesn't matter!"

"Well, Lydia isn't. How old are you, anyway?"

"I don't know. Around 50."

"Lydia's 16. I'm pretty sure that's pedophilia."

"What, me kissing her? It is not! I'm permanently a teenager, so there's nothing wrong with that!"

"If you're a teenager, you shouldn't be dating Bansha!"

"Oh shut up." Morro pointed towards the exit. "Go back to your room."

"Whatever you say, mom." Tossing the package a few inches in the air and catching it, Lloyd turned and left the room. Lydia would probably be hungry too, he noted as he ripped open the package. He should save some for her. To his surprise, though, when he returned, the cavern was empty. Where did Lydia go?

* * *

 **Lydia: I am going to Stay here and let my foot rest  
** **Lydia:  
Lydia:  
Lydia: bored again *walks off***

 **~FFF**


	24. Where the Heck did she Go

***walks into view and immediately falls over***

 **wow gosh im tired**

 **review replies:**

 **kitkat: It'll be fine.**

 **Entity: "HECK YOU GUYS IM OUT"**

 **RandomDragon: Nothing... THAT bad...**

 **NinjagoMLP: She technically can't run, so...**

 **Ebony: It's almost like they're warming up to each other!**

 **Spottedfrost: Pssh, she already had those powers.**

* * *

"I can't believe we're almost there." Jay remarked, watching out the windows of the submersible mech Cyrus Borh had loaned them. "It just feels so… easy. Y'know?"

"It is a little strange how little opposition we've faced." Zane agreed, eyes focused on a particurally brightly-colored fish that was swimming past. "What is Morro doing? Just sitting in his base twiddling his thumbs?" Kai snickered.

"I mean, maybe he is. He's clearly not possessing Lloyd, so I guess that means he's not doing anything. Why would he kidnap Lloyd if he wasn't going to… use him?" The brunette shifted uncomfortably.

"Whatever's going on, Lydia must have something to do with it." Nya pointed out. "According to what she said, we had basically no powers throughout this… what did she call it?"

"Season." Cole supplied.

"Right. Lydia made it sound like we had no powers his season because Lloyd was possessed the entire time. Obviously he's not. So… she's messing something up."

"I don't think that really counts as 'messing something up'." Jay countered. "More like saving our butts."

"You know I'm not her biggest fan, but I have to agree with Jay." Kai nodded. "If she's keeping Lloyd out of harm's way, I guess I have to respect her for that."

"That's surprisingly nice of you, Kai." Nya turned to look out the windshield. "That must be it!" She pointed to an underwater tunnel, and Jay steered towards it.

"What are we going to do once we get the Realm Crystal?" Cole asked quietly as they approached the tunnel. "It's not like Morro will just give himself and his prisoners up. We'll have to do something."

"I don't know." Zane shook his head. "But-"

The mech, the ocean, and the tunnel vanished.

The ninja, to their shock, found themselves standing on a wooden bridge, one of many. Stiix. In front of them was a giant, horrifying monster, with tentacles snatching up every fleeing civilian it could find. The sky was tinted green, and screams cut through the air.

Then they found themselves back in the ocean- minus their mech.

Kai immediately started flailing, screaming as well as he could underwater as he started to sink. Squeezing her eyes shut, Nya threw her arms out to the sides, creating a bubble of air around them. They dropped into the ocean underneath it, but it gave them room to breathe.

"What was that?!" Kai demanded, still panicking. "Did anyone else see that?!" He started to sink again, and Cole wrapped an arm around his waist to keep him up.

"I saw it!" Jay yelled, looking almost as panicked as Kai. "We- we were in Sttix, and there was a monster, and-"

"That's not important right now." Nya interrupted. "We need to get to the surface. I can only hold this for so long."

"Then let's go!" Kai nearly snapped. Slowly, they started to rise, the bubble rising with them.

Then Nya vanished into thin air- er, water?

The bubble immediately headed for the surface, way faster than they could. Kai started yelling again, unintelligible due to the water but clear nonetheless- What the _heck_ happened to Nya?

Swimming to the middle of them, Zane froze a platform beneath them, the buoyant ice pushing them rapidly towards the surface. When they popped out, three of the ninja immediately collapsed groaning. Zane, still on his feet, shook his head.

"Decompression sickness." He explained as Cole tried to gasp a question. "Caused by ascending too fast from underwater. I was afraid of this, but we didn't have much of a choice."

"Why… are we _hurt…_ for getting to air?" Kai demanded. "No, don't… nevermind." He let his face fall back onto the ice. "D-do you think… Nya got sent back there?"

"You mean to Stiix with the monster?" Jay whispered faintly. Kai nodded. "Oh man, I hope not." Gritting his teeth, Kai tried to get to his feet, but Zane stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"You need to lie down and rest. I've contacted the Bounty, and they're on their way. I'll keep our raft frozen until then."

"Did you… tell them about Nya?" Cole asked, pushing himself up to look at the nindroid. Zane nodded. "Good." The group fell silent, and stayed that way until the Bounty appeared on the horizon. They watched as it landed about 50 feet away from their platform, then Zane froze a path over the water towards it. Slowly, the group made their way over and up onto the Bounty.

"Are you all alright?" Sensei called as soon as they came within earshot.

"We're fine." Kai called back, sounding defeated as he climbed the anchor. "But I don't know about Nya."

"Zane told us what happened. I'm sure we'll find her." Sensei tried to reassure them.

"This sucks!" Jay snapped, hauling himself over the railing and letting himself fall onto the deck with a _thud_. "First we lose Lloyd and Lydia, now Nya! And the Sword of Sanctuary!" The others groaned as they realized he was right- the sword had been in the mech, which was gone. "What are we gonna do? We can't fight the ghosts without Nya, and we can't get through the tomb without the sword!"

"I'm sure we'll find it. Now, you three need dry clothes and rest." Wu ordered. "Zane, you, Misako and I can discuss our next course of action." The nindroid nodded, helping Cole over the railing before shooing them off towards their room. They needed a new plan.

* * *

 **So anyway. I've had this chapter and the next chapter sitting in my room for weeks, neither of which having an ending. I couldn't write a stinkin ending for either of them. And this one is really bad, but I felt like I should probably post something before you all came after me with chainsaws.**

 **~FFF**


	25. Kid What are you Doing

**Interestingly enough, the wifi works on my laptop again. Cool.**

 **Not doing review replies, but happy valentines day everyone!**

* * *

"Ooooooh." Lydia whispered, picking up the Allied Armor from where it lay in a corner. "Shiny." She ran a finger across it, making a line in the thin layer of dust. What exactly could it do, she wondered?

Though she had promised to say put, she had quickly grown bored and wandered off. Not wanting to have to talk to Morro any more, she headed the other direction, and had soon come across Wu's staff and the Allied Armor. So, of course, she decided to mess with it.

"I wonder what the limits of this are." She murmured, turning it over in her hands. It had two pieces, one on the front and one on the back, held together with leather straps. It looks fairly easy to put on. So, against all common sense, she did. "Can it actually summon enemies?" She wondered aloud, leaning back against the wall. "That would be pretty stupid. I mean, it's not like the armor forces them to obey me. Unless it does?" She pondered this silently for a few minutes.

"Is it like a teleporter? Could I bring anyone here? Could I- oh my. I could- I could probably bring someone from Earth. There don't seem to be rules about bringing people from other Realms. I shouldn't, of course. That would be a terrible idea. And maybe the Cursed Realm is specifically linked to it. I dunno.

"And can it really summon people? When I saw Soul Archer summoned, he kinda floated out of it. People don't float. If I summoned- if I tried to summon someone, like Nya, would it even-" She broke off with a gasp as the armor began to glow, and she felt as though the breath was sucked out of her. As she reeled at the uncomfortable sensation, a form took shape in front of her- a female figure with short hair. Oh no. Another wave of exhaustion hit her, and she gasped again as Nya became fully visible and dropped to the ground. Her head immediately jerked up, eyes locking on Lydia.

"Lydia?"

"Oh noooooo." Lydia covered her face with her hands. "This is really bad."

"What's bad? Lydia, where are we? Are you okay?" Nya scrambled to her feet, looking around before focusing on the armor. "The Allied Armor. You summoned me."

"By accident!" Lydia tried to defend herself.

"No, no, this is good!" Nya glanced down the tunnel out. "I can kill Morro and we can escape with Lloyd! Is he okay?"

"He's fine, but you have to get out of here! We can't escape!" Lydia shook her head violently. "You need to run to the cliff's edge and fly away! Tell the others we're fine, and you just need to get to the Realm Crystal!"

"Well, we were kinda in the middle of that when you did this." Nya crossed her arms and Lydia flinched.

"Sorry. But you figured out the last clue!"

"Yes, we did. Now why shouldn't we get you and Lloyd out of here?"

"I'm feeding Morro just enough information to keep him off Lloyd. We have a deal. He doesn't possess Lloyd, I tell him what the clues mean. He thinks I'm giving him shortcuts, so he doesn't bother you. I need to keep his attention on me."

"If we kill him and his goons, we won't have to worry about him at all!" Nya protested.

"No, please, just leave!" Lydia made shooing motions with her hands. "Don't kill him!"

"Why not?" The brunette shuffled her feet.

"I might like him."

"What?" Nya blinked incredulously. "Does… does Lloyd know?"

"Yeah. I mean, he thinks I'm weird, but he's been pretty supportive of me."

"I- I guess you don't- oh never mind." Nya started to pace. "Alright, fine. I'll leave. But what if I'm attacked on the way out?"

"Scare them off with a little water. Just a spray, not enough to kill. They're discussing plans right now, so if you just run past the meeting room they should not see you."

"How do I get out?"

"Um… run down the hallway, turn left at the end, then just follow the course of the tunnel the cliff's edge. Then fly away."

"Alright." Nya sighed, then knelt down and gave her a hug. "If I learn something happened to you that I could have rescued you from, I'm going to feel terrible."

"I'll be fine, I promise." Lydia assured her, hugging her back. "Now get out of here before Morro comes looking for me." Nya nodded, letting go of her and straightening up. Turning towards the 'doorway', she set off down the tunnel at a brisk walk towards the end of the hallway.

…only to come face-to-face with Morro as he rounded the corner.

"Hey!" He exclaimed as Lydia let out a yelp. "What are you-" He was cut off as Nya grabbed him and flipped him over her head, sending him crashing to the floor as the water ninja took off running. At least her first instinct hadn't been to use her powers. "GET HER!" Morro yelled, scrambling to his feet.

"No, don't!" Lydia yelled after him, struggling upright and bracing her hands on the wall. Morro whirled around to look at her, his eyes narrowing into slits as he spotted the armor she wore. "Tell them to stay away from her! She'll kill them!" The brunette pleaded. Morro did no such thing, striding down the tunnel towards her instead.

"What are you _doing?!_ " He demanded as he got close. "Stealing the Allied Armor and releasing the water master into our base?"

"It was an accident!"

"Oh yes. You _accidently_ wandered over here, put in the allied armor, and summoned her." Morro looked less than convinced.

"I just wanted to try it on. I was curious." Lydia huffed.

"Of course you were. You're always curious." He grabbed her by the shoulder, yanking her towards him and starting to unfasten the straps then held together the pieces of armor. "I should lock you up." He muttered. "One of these days you're going to _accidently_ wander right off the cliff." Lydia didn't answer. Once the straps were unfastened, he pulled it over her head and set it down again, grabbing her by the wrist and starting to drag her down the hall. She immediately collapsed. No way was she letting him drag her with a possibly broken ankle. Rolling his eyes, Morro picked her up on a cushion of wind and started down the hall again, towing her behind him.

"Guess who 'accidently' released a water master into our base." The ghost said loudly as the other ghosts came into view.

"It _was_ an accident." Lydia muttered.

"We couldn't catch her." Bansha reported, ignoring them both. "Wrayth was injured. The water master shot him, but it wasn't lethal."

"That's because I _told her_ not to kill you guys." Lydia muttered again.

"And why would you do a thing like that?" Morro turned and glared at her.

"Because I like you guys and don't want you dead? Has that occurred to you?" Lydia glared back. Morro rolled his eyes.

"We all know you would get out of here in a moment if you got the chance."

"I've gotten plenty of chances, pal. I just haven't taken them. Lydia shot back. Morro huffed.

"Sure you did."

"Nya offered to break me out, but I refused!"

"That's ridiculous."

"Why?"

"Because I know you would run if you got the chance!

"You're using your conclusion as an argument! You can't do that!"

"I can do whatever I want! I'm in charge here!"

"Your status as leader has nothing to do with the validity of your argument!"

"Can you two take your lovers' quarrel somewhere else?" Soul Archer interrupted, sounding bored.

"We are _not_ lovers!" Lydia snapped, pressing her feet to the ground and standing. "And we never will be!" With that, she stormed off towards the cliff's edge. She needed some time alone.

* * *

 **In other news, that's where Nya went.**

 **So uh... my ex-boyfriend and I got back together, so that's my Valentines Day. How was your guys'?**

 **~FFF**


	26. Breaking the Universe

**hmmmmm updates**

 **Review replies:**

 **Ebony: *sweating* I mean it... p-probably won't...**

 **NinjagoMLP: I mean me either. My boyfriend lives across the ocean from me lol.**

 **KitKat: Wow. I gave my friends cat ear headbands for valentines day lol**

 **RandomDragon: it was a SWEAR**

 **PixelatedNinjas: At this rate sooner rather than later.**

 **Star: Yep. Completely by accident.**

* * *

Chapter 26

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid." Lydia mumbled under her breath, staring down at the forest below as she dangled her legs over the cliff. "Stupid." She'd really messed this up. Now the ninja knew where she was, Morro didn't trust her, and Wrayth was hurt. Because of her dumb mistake. Why the heck was she messing around with forces she didn't know how to control?

Sighing, Lydia swung her feet a bit. She really hoped this portion of rock right at the edge of the cliff wouldn't suddenly give way, sending her falling to her doom. No one would hear her scream. A fast, and potentially painless death. It was what, a couple thousand feet down? She was no good with distances. Ah, well, if it did hurt, it would only hurt for a moment. Then she would be a splat on a rock.

"L-Lydia!" A voice behind her startled her from her morbid thoughts, and she looked over her shoulder to see Lloyd standing just inside the cave. "What are you doing so close to the edge?" She blinked.

"Sitting? Uhh… contemplating falling from this height." Immediately, Lloyd rushed forward, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her back.

"Please don't get so close." He pleaded, sinking to the ground as he pulled her away from the edge.

"Okay. I wasn't gonna jump or anything. I was just thinking. And it's a habit of mine to sulk in potentially dangerous situations." Lloyd winced.

"Please don't."

"Okay." Lydia leaned back and rested her head on his leg, staring up at the overcast sky. They were both silent for a few moments.

"You said you were gonna stay in my room." He said at last. She frowned.

"I did? Oh, you're right. I'm sorry. I was going to come back in just a minute, but I got distracted by the Allied Armor. Sorry.

"It's okay." They were quiet again. Finally, Lydia pressed her hands to her face with a groan.

"Ugh, I messed up so bad. Morro will never trust me now."

"Why's that important? He's our captor."

"If he trusts me, he might listen to me! I've been trying to get him to call it off- if he continues on this path, he'll die for good – but he won't listen! He thinks he's invincible! He's like an insufferable teenager." She huffed. "Won't listen to reason."

"He's… it's not just that. Morro… he IS a bad person, Lydia." Lloyd said quietly. "He _wants_ to rule. He wants to hurt people."

"But he's not a monster! He's not a cold-hearted killer! He cares about me a little bit, I think. I really think he can change! Become a good guy!" Lydia frowned. "I KNOW he can. I've seen it. But then he died." She sighed. It wasn't fair. When he was redeemed, he shouldn't have promptly died. That was stupid. Not to mention Sensei Garmadon. Especially since he-

"Wait." She said aloud, sitting up straight. "Wait wait wait wait wait."

"What?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow.

"Um… I'm not going to tell you yet in case it doesn't work. But-" She turned around to grin at him. "I just got an idea."

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

Carefully, Lydia leaned around the corner, peeking into the room where Morro and his ghost buddies slept. There he was, fast asleep. She stopped to admire the wind master for a few moments. He was cute. But she didn't have time for messing around, so she tiptoe-limped off towards the main hallway.

Slowly, carefully, Lydia navigated her way through the pitch-black caves. Her nerves threatened to rise and send her running back to the safety of Lloyd's room, but she squelched them before they could gain ground. She had a job to do.

After getting lost a couple times, Lydia made it to the room where the Allied Armor was stored. She felt around on the floor for a while before locating the armor, and spent several minutes fumbling with the straps in the dark as she tried to refasten them. Finally, she got it, and slipped it over her head. Leaning back against the wall, she hugged her arms to her chest over the armor, squeezed her eyes shut, and whispered aloud,

"Sensei Garmadon." Immediately, the armor began to glow, and once again she felt as though the breath was knocked out of her. Her heart began to pound as a glowing shape appeared in the air in front of her- was this actually working? The form materialized in front of her- an older, grey-haired man in intricate robes – and the Allied Armor's glow faded as he collapsed with a grunt.

"Where… where am I?" A soft voice spoke. "What's going on?" Eyes open as wide as they would go, Lydia pressed her hands to her cheeks.

"Holy heck." She whispered. "I just cheated the universe."

* * *

 **Lydia: wow I did something bad with the allied armor I better not do that again**

 **Lydia:**

 **Lydia:**

 **Lydia:**

 **Lydia: or,** **alternatively**

 **~FFF**


	27. Floofy Reunions

**it's GARMADON**

 **Review replies:**

 **Zena: has stopped working**

 **RandomDragon: Morro's so tired of Lydia's antics at this point.**

 **Ebony: Lloyd doesn't really have a clue what it does. Lydia, on the other hand, is just full of good ideas. And Lydia's not getting shuffled around because she wasn't IN the original timeline.**

 **NinjagoMLP: Yes.**

 **KitKat: Or Fenwick. Fenwick's gotta be pretty annoyed at this point.**

 **Entity: :D**

 **Robin: Of course I did.**

 **Star: She's been doing that for a while.**

 **ASeriousNerd: Glad you're enjoying it!**

 **I'm way too tired to proofread this.**

* * *

"What do you mean? Who's there?" Sensei Garmadon asked, sounding baffled. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

"Ah… bit of a long story." Lydia replied, hopefully in his direction. "Sensei Garmadon?"

"Yes. Who are you?"

"I'm Lydia. I summoned you with the Allied Armor, which I'm pretty sure breaks all the Cursed Realm rules. Can you walk?"

"I… no? I've been chained for months, I haven't-"

"Yeah, I know." She interrupted. "I'd help you walk, but my ankle's sprained. Let me go get Lloyd."

"Lloyd's here?" Garmadon sounded shocked, but in a good way.

"Yeah. He and I are kinda imprisoned here. Fortunately for us, Morro just leaves his magical items lying around."

"Morro?" Still shocked, this time in a bad way.

"Yeah. And I know you and he have a history. But I don't think he'll hurt you. I'll be right back." Hopping to her feet, Lydia hurried out of the pitch-black room towards where Lloyd was sleeping. "Lloyd." She hissed as she limped into his room. "Wake up! Wake up wake up!" She heard shuffling, then a groan.

"Why? What time is it?"

"No idea. But come on! I have to show you something!" She hobbled towards him in the dark until she bumped into him. "Oops."

"It's okay." He created an orb of light in his palm, blinding her and nearly making her lose her balance. "Now what's going on?" He asked as he put a hand on her arm to steady her.

"I gotta show you something. Follow me." She grabbed his hand, dragging him out into the hallway. "Come come come come come." She pulled him down to the room where his father was waiting, then stopped in the doorway, pointing into the darkness. "Look." Frowning, Lloyd lifted the light ahead of him, lighting up the room and revealing his father sitting up against the wall. He gasped, the light flickering.

"D-Dad?"

"Lloyd!" Garmadon's face broke into a grin and he struggled to stand. Pulling away from Lydia, Lloyd hurried across the room and helped to his feet, then wrapped his free arm around him, hugging him tight.

"But- you- how-" The blond stammered as his father hugged him back. Lydia coughed.

"I cheated the universe."

"How?" Lloyd looked over his shoulder to frown at her, and she tapped the Allied Armor. "You… summoned you?" She nodded. "How does that work?"

"I have no idea. Also, he killed Morro, so Morro might be a little annoyed that he's here."

"What?" Lloyd looked back at his father in shock. Garmadon sighed.

"It's a long story. But… how did you know?" He asked Lydia with a frown.

"Well, for starters, Morro mentioned it. But I already guessed since I know your past and future."

"What?" Now it was Garmadon's turn to turn in shock, and Lloyd shrugged.

"She won't tell us how. I've learned to just roll with it."

"I… alright. Where are we?"

"Some mountaintop. Somewhere." Lloyd shook his head. "I can't really tell from the cliff's edge."

"The cliff…? Lloyd, your elemental dragon. Can't you just fly away?" His father furrowed his brow. The blond sighed.

"Yes, but Lydia refuses to leave, and if I left Morro would likely take his anger out on her. She's not an elemental master or anything, she can't defend herself."

"Oh." The older man frowned at her. "Why don't you want to leave?"

"I'm keeping Morro distracted so he doesn't go after the ninja." She replied without missing a beat. "He knows I Know the future, so he's counting on me to give him shortcuts. I am, in fact, not."

"Plus she has a crush on him." Lloyd whispered. Lydia crossed her arms, and, with a perfectly straight face, said,

"Lloyd, why would you slander my good name like this?" Lloyd turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow, and she immediately cracked up. Lloyd rolled his eyes, then leaned back towards his father and whispered something so quiet Lydia couldn't make it out. Garmadon's eyes widened.

"Oh."

"Wait. What did you say? Are you slandering my good name again, Lloyd?" Lydia narrowed her eyes, taking a threatening step closer and poking him in the arm. He rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by a yell from down the hall.

"Lydia, what have you been doing this time?" A secondly later, Morro appeared in the doorway, glanced around the room, and groaned. "Really? Him?"

"Lloyd," Lydia started, ignoring the ghost's words. "If he tries to hurt your dad, you have my permission and approval to kill him."

"Oh come on! Me? He's the reason I'm dead in the first place!" Morro huffed, crossing his arms. "Why are you messing around with the Allied Armor, anyway? I told you to leave that alone! You caused enough trouble with it already!"

"Yeah, well, if you don't give up you're going to end up destroying the Cursed Realm. I'm not leaving Garmadon there to die with it."

"Ugh. You know what? Fine. But I don't want to know you're here, got it?" He jabbed a threatening finger in Garmadon's direction. "If I hear a single word from you while I'm around, I'll kill you as soon as your son's back is turned. Is that clear?" Garmadon gave him a silent nod, and Morro turned and stalked out of the room. As soon as his footsteps were too far away to hear, Lloyd began to seethe.

"That coward! How dare he talk to you like that?!"

"It's alright." Garmadon said softly. "I did kill him, after all."

"You were under the influence of the Great Devourer's venom! You couldn't help it!"

"Yes, but he doesn't know that."

"Anyway, my earlier point still stands." Lydia cut in. "If he touches Garmadon, kill him. Try to take him by surprise." Lloyd raised an eyebrow at her.

"That's… a change?"

"I could always bring him back with the Allied Armor. This time in a more secure prison." She muttered the last part under her breath.

"You uh… cared about him a lot more a couple days ago." The blond sounded confused.

"That was before he threatened to kill your dad. I mean, I expected some animosity on his part, but that's overdoing it." She shot a nasty look after him.

"So… I guess you really like my dad?"

"Oh, yeah. I didn't just bring him back for your sake, he's also like a really cool guy in general." She could feel them both staring at her, but refused to turn back to look at them. "Now I'm going to bed. I've gotten like four hours of sleep in the past 48 hours." Standing up, Lydia limped out of the room without looking back. That would have gotten awkward fast. Those two needed some time to catch up anyway. Hobbling out to the cliff's edge, Lydia curled up just inside the cave- it wasn't quite as dark here. Since she was so tired, it didn't take nearly as long as usual for her to go to sleep.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"I still can't believe you're here." Lloyd murmured, forehead resting on his father's shoulder as they sat together against the wall. "I thought I'd never see you again. I thought you were dead."

"I'm very much alive." His father replied with a smile, running a hand through his son's blond hair. "I shouldn't be, I was chained quite firmly, I should have starved to death long ago. But some of the ghosts had pity on me, they brought me food and water. If they hadn't..." He shrugged. "I would be a ghost, I suppose."

"Or just… dead." Lloyd buried his face in his dad's shoulder, hugging him tight. "I'm so glad Lydia brought you back."

"As am I. Ah…" He paused. "…what exactly happened while I was gone? Specifically, where did she come from?"

"It's… a really long story." Lloyd sat back with a sigh. "Can I tell it to you later? I'm really tired."

"Of course." Lloyd scooted over to his father's right, leaning his head on his father's shoulder.

"Does she know you love her?" Dad asked quietly. Lloyd shook his head.

"I can't tell her."

"Why not?

"She told me- well, last night Morro kissed her. She came and ranted to me about it. She said she didn't want to be in love with him, because if she did she would never be able to make herself go back to her own Realm."

"She's from another Realm?"

"Yeah. She doesn't know how she got here. She likes it here, but she has a life and a family back there, so, after we get the Realm Crystal, probably, we're going to send her home." The blond sighed, staring at the floor. "It would only make it harder for her if I told her how I feel."

"I understand." Dad wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "If you want to sleep, you can go ahead and put the light out."

"Okay." Lloyd let the orb of light in his free hand fade, and the room became pitch-black once more.

"Goodnight, son." His father's voice murmured by his ear.

"Goodnight… dad."

* * *

 **Hmm**

 **~FFF**


	28. Have You Considered: Getting Along

**mmm 4 reviews I feel special**

 **Review replies:**

 **Ebony: Morro's too tired for this.**

 **Zena: Figures.**

 **Impossible: Morro's waaaay too tired for this.**

 **RandomDragon: #LetMorroSleep2k18**

* * *

Chapter 28

"Good morning Morro." Lydia called cheerfully, limping into the meeting room. "Sleep well?" The ghost in question turned to glare at her, his hair tangled and his clothes mussed. Apparently not.

"Stay off that foot." He snapped. "And give me the **** Allied Armor." Lydia huffed, immediately sinking to the floor where she stood.

"How polite."

"I'm not really inclined to be polite, considering you woke me up in the middle of the night by summoning my _murderer_."

"That's not fair. He got turned evil by a snake. He's a totally different person now." Morro just stared.

"I'm not going to pretend to know what that means." Picking up a package of dried meat, Morro pitched it at her. "Eat. We're leaving."

"Where? And why?" The brunette raised an eyebrow, fumbling with the package.

"Because since you released Nya into my base and then let her get away, she knows where we are." He rolled his eyes. "And we're going to Stiix. Since Ronin has vacated his old pawn shop, we'll be taking up residence there." Lydia let out a snort of laughter.

"That's a wonderful idea." She said with a perfectly straight face as Morro gave her a weird look. "How are we getting there?"

"You and I will ride on my dragon, Lloyd and his father will ride on his, and Bansha and Soul Archer will ride on hers. The other two will walk. Or… float."

"How do they- wait." Lydia stopped, a piece of meat halfway to her mouth. "'Bansha's dragon'?"

"Yeah."

"Bansha's an elemental master?"

"Yeah."

"Of what?"

"Mind. You thought her being able to communicate telepathically was a coincidence?"

"Not a coincidence, but… heyyyyy, I asked you in Yang's temple if you knew any ghosts who could mind read, and you said no!" She put her hands on her hips.

"I forgot!" He threw his hands up in the air. "Besides, it's not 'mind reading' per se."

"Whatever." She paused. "Can I ride with Bansha?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"The only reason I'm letting Lloyd fly is because I know he won't run as long as I have you. If you're with Bansha, my immediate possession of you won't be so obvious." Lydia blinked.

"You mean possession as in…?" He sighed.

"As in I have you. Not as in I'm literally controlling your body."

"Good, because that's creepy."

"He might be able to overpower Bansha and grab you," He continued, ignoring her. "But he can't overpower me."

"Hmm." She finally took a bite of her meat- odd that she wasn't very hungry. It had been a while since she last ate. "Can I wear the Allied Armor?"

"No. _I'll_ wear the Allied Armor, thank you very much." He stalked over and knelt down next to her, undoing the straps and pulling the armor off.

"Hmph." She huffed, but didn't fight him. It wasn't like she could win.

"If it makes you feel any better," Morro called over his shoulder as he headed back towards the table. "I got you something." He picked up a brown, leather bag from the table, tossing it towards her. She frowned as it landed a foot in front of her.

"A… bag?" He rolled his eyes.

"Look inside it." Hooking the strap with her foot, she pulled it closer and then onto her lap, pulling the flap open. As soon as the light hit its contents, she gasped.

"Paper?" She pulled out the clean stalk of white paper, as well as the couple of pencils that lay in the bottom of the bag.

"Yeah." He shifted his weight a bit. "You were _always_ drawing back on the Bounty. I figured if I gave the materials I might finally get some peace. And… I wanted to make up for kissing you."

"Morro, that's so sweet." Lydia whispered, choked up a bit. "If I weren't forbidden from walking, I'd come over there and hug you." He let out a bark of laughter, but he was blushing.

"Well, thanks, I guess." He said hurriedly. "I'm going to go wake up Lloyd." He started to leave the room, then stopped. "And if you touch the Allied Armor, I'm going to throw you off the cliff."

"Alright, geez, fine." _Now_ he left. Shaking her head, Lydia straightened the stack of paper on her lap and began to draw.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"So we're going to go rescue them." Kai said firmly.

"No!" Nya crossed her arms. "I just told you, Lydia doesn't want us to! We need to go after the Realm Crystal!"

"Look, I don't care if she and Morro are married and have a dozen kids. Morro is a _bad guy_ , and every minute Lloyd spends there is a minute he's in dager. We need to get them out of there, and we can't be dancing around Lydia's feelings." Nya sighed.

"Alright, that kind of makes sense." Shaking her head, she turned and walked away.

"Where're you going?" Kai raised an eyebrow.

"To pull up a map." The water mistress stopped at the computer and pressed a few buttons, causing a world map of Ninjago to pop up. "I thought it might be nice to know where they're at, so I put a bug on Lydia before I left." She clicked on an indicator and frowned. "As I suspected."

"What?"

"They're on the move."

* * *

 **Lydia: I Do Not want to fall in love with morro that's a terrible idea**

 **Lydia, at the same time: *consistently flirts***

 **~FFF**


	29. Children Stop: The Sequel

**this is a terrible chapter**

 **it's also not proofread, so... yeet**

 **im too tired for replies**

* * *

"I mean, that's kinda an unconventional method of sneaking, but whatever works for you." Lydia said with a shrug, balancing on one foot with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Who said I was sneaking?" Morro asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I mean… do you WANT the ninja to know you're here?"

"Honestly? I'm not afraid of them."

"I didn't ask if you were afraid of them."

"Just get in the building." Morro gave her a gentle shove towards the doorway of Ronin's shop, and Lloyd caught her arm as she stumbled. "Besides, I doubt the ninja will bother me when I have three hostages.

"You'd be surprised." Lydia shrugged, but grabbed Lloyd's arm and limped into the building. Morro's 'unconventional sneaking method' had been to not even try to hide their presence from the residents of Stiix, setting down their dragons in the middle of town and just blowing anyone who threatened them – or looked like they were going to threaten them – into the sea. Not exactly stealthy. Apparently Morro just didn't care.

As Lloyd lead her inside Ronin's shop, Lydia felt a kid-in-a-toy-store feeling come over her. There was so much JUNK here! And by 'junk', she meant, of course, random things she would love to have.

"Shiny." She whispered. Lloyd gave her a funny look.

"What?"

"Can I live here?" She asked, ignoring his question.

"Uh… you do live here, currently."

"Can I live here forever?"

"No? Why would you want to live here?"

"Look at all this cool stuff!" She turned in a slow circle, gesturing to all the random things lining the shelves. Lloyd frowned.

"Rusty weapons, a stolen trophy cup, some jars, a box of broken light bulbs… how is this enticing?"

"First off, that's interesting that you used the word 'enticing'. Secondly, how is it _not?_ " Pulling away from him, Lydia hurried over to a shelf to examine a box of weapons. "Ooooh. Hey, what's this?" Behind the boc was a large jar, inside which was a… purple lizard? With sings. "Is this a dragon?" The creature stared at her, tongue lolling out of its mouth.

"I don't know. Let me see." Lloyd knelt next to her as she sat on the floor, frowning as he took the jar from her. "It looks like a dragon, alright. Why does Ronin have a random dragon?"

"I dunno." Lydia took the jar back. "Poor little thing. Trapped in a bottle. Can I keep it?"

"Uh… ask Morro?"

"Ask me what? What's that?" She glanced up to see Morro standing over here, and she held up the jar.

"Dragon. Can I keep it?"

"What are you going to feed it?"

"Fish?" She turned back to the dragon. "What do you eat?"

"Dragons don't talk." Morro muttered.

"Shut up, Morro, I know that." Lydia retorted without looking up. The ghost sighed and walked away. "Let's get you out of there." The brunette muttered, unscrewing the lid of the jar.

"Wait." Lloyd put a hand over hers to stop her. "Are you sure you want to release this random dragon into Ronin's pawn shop? What if it starts breathing fire or something?"

"It's purple. I don't think it's a fire dragon. And the poor little thing has been stuck in there for days at best. We should let it out." Lydia shook his hand off and took the lid off the jar, watching as the tiny dragon crawled out.

It immediately bit her and flew away.

"Yeah, heck you too." Lydia yelled after it as the purple dragon flew out the window. "Sheesh. That's gratitude for you."

"Are you okay?" Lloyd asked in concern, taking her hand to examine her bleeding finger.

"Nah. If it hurt you would know."

"Okay." Still, Lloyd scrutinized the tiny wounds on her finder for a moment before letting go of her hand. "That will probably stop bleeding in a minute."

"Probably." As Lydia turned back to the box of weapons, a hand grabbed her arm, and she looked up as Morro yanked her to her feet.

"Umm… do you need something?" She asked as he started to drag her away. "I'd like to remind you that I am injured, and maybe you shouldn't-"

"Stay." Morro barked, and she stopped, but he kept pulling her, which confused her until she glanced over her shoulder to see Lloyd halting about ten feet behind them. Moro pulled her all the way to the other end of the shop, then behind a tall shelf out of sight of the others. Now, finally, he stopped dragging her.

"So, uh-" Lydia started, but Morro interrupted.

"Do you like me or Lloyd better?" He asked bluntly. Lydia blinked.

"I've been asking myself that question for two and a half years."

"And… recent events haven't helped you decide?"

"Not… really." Look, Morro, I really don't want to pick favorites between you two. You're handsome and really strong and powerful, but you're capable of being gentle when you need to be, and Lloyd is cute and really sweet, and he lets me hang out with him and talk. You're both cool and I like you both."

"I talk." Morro crossed his arms.

"'Lydia, give me the next clue.'" She mimicked in a high pitched voice. "'What's this mean. What's that mean.' You don't talk, you… interrogate. You don't really just… chat." The ghost huffed.

"I was taught that idle chatter is a sign of laziness."

"Well, it can also be a way to bond."

"'Bond'." Morro muttered under his breath. "Well, I'd say he has an unfair advantage when it comes to 'bonding', because he has a crush on you." Lydia stared.

"What."

"He has a crush on you." Morro repeated, looking a bit smug. "He has for a long time. He was thinking about it when I possessed him. In fact-" Lydia heard a 'whzzz-thud', and looked up in surprise to see a knife embedded in the wall next to Morro's head.

"**** it Morro!" She heard Lloyd yell, and turned in surprise to see the blond standing about ten feet away, another knife in his hand. "You promised not to tell her!"

"Well, you were waiting too long to make your move." Morro crossed his arms. "I decided to speed things up a bit."

"I wasn't- I wasn't going to tell her!" Lloyd snapped, his face flushed red. "I knew she was already having trouble choosing between her feelings for you and wanting to go home, I didn't want to make it worse for her!" Lydia blinked, looking back and forth between Morro and Lloyd.

"So… so wait. When Morro kissed me, I immediately went to complain about it to… someone who has a crush on me?" They both nodded. "Well I'm a real hecking genius, aren't I?"

"You didn't know-" Lloyd started, but Morro interrupted.

"Yes, you immediately went to Lloyd. How is that not picking favorites?" Lydia blinked.

"Um… you want me to go to YOU complaining about something YOU did? Keep your instances in context when trying to use them for an argument."

"Yeah, that was a pretty lousy example." Lloyd agreed. Morro bristled.

"Shut up, or I'll throw the knife back at you." He snapped.

"Okay, but why do you care what I think of you?" Lydia interjected, putting her hands on her hips. "Like, Lloyd apparently has a crush on me-" It was getting increasingly harder to say that without becoming a flustered mess. "-but why do you give a heck? You're my captor." She paused. "Oh, please don't tell me you have a crush on me too. I don't want to be the subject of a love triangle."

"I don't." Morro hugged. "So you're in luck. Is it so shocking that maybe I just want you as a friend?" Lydia blinked.

"I don't think you really get how friends work."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Good friends are supposed to be selfless and generous. And nice to each other. You kidnapped me and locked me in a cave."

"Well, I actually really disliked you then."

"Fair enough. But you're still pretty rough and often harsh with me. Like, you just dragged me across the shop. While injured, no less." Morro scowled.

"Well, you-"

"And the thing you're doing right now, the glaring and the snapping. That's not how you treat friends." The ghost groaned.

"What about lecturing? Is that a friend thing? Because it seems like it's all you ever do!"

"Do you ever hear me lecturing Lloyd?" She crossed her arms. "You just deserve lecturing sometimes. Helps bring down your ego some." Morro bristled.

"I don't- you know what? Fine. I was going to wait until you were asleep to do this, but I think you deserve it now."

"Deserve wh-" Morro shoved her. Hard. She stumbled back against the wall with a yelp, and Lloyd yelled,

"Hey!" and ran down the hall towards them. As Lydia struggled back to her feet, Soul Archer stepped out from behind a shelf and slammed his bow into Lloyd's head. The blond let out a choked cry, crumpling to the ground.

"LLOYD!" Lydia screamed.

"We had a deal, remember?" Morro said coldly, stepping over to Lloyd and kneeling next to him, chaining his wrists together with vengestone. "You give me information, and I leave your _boyfriend_ alone." Lydia only stared, bracing her hands on the wall behind her to keep from falling over. "Now that you've refused to fulfill your end of the deal, I will no longer fulfil mine." The brunette only barely heard him, staring at Lloyd on the ground. He wasn't moving.

"Oh, don't worry about him." Morro said with a laugh. "He's not hurt… yet." Picking up a figurine from the shelf next to her, Lydia hurled it at the wind master and ran. "You really think you can escape?" He called after her, sounding amused.

"I'm not trying to escape." She snapped back. She heard him laugh, then say something to probably Soul Archer. Likely sending him after her. She only needed a minute.

Turning the corner, she crashed straight into Sensei Garmadon, who caught her as she stumbled back.

"Lydia? What's going on? I heard you scream." He asked, sounding alarmed.

"You need to leave." She hissed in reply. "Right now. Run. Morro hurt Lloyd, he'll _kill_ you."

"Lloyd?" His grip tightened on her shoulders. "If he's hurt, I need to be here for him."

"No! You won't be here for him if you're dead!" She snapped. "Get out of here! I'll distract them."

"But-"

"Please!" She begged, lowering her voice to a whisper. "I promised to keep Lloyd safe, but I couldn't. The best thing I can do now is try to protect you." His face hardened, but he nodded.

"You may not be able to protect him, but at least try to stay with him." He said quietly, then he let go of her and quickly walked away. Blinking back tears, Lydia looked at the shelves next to her, locating after a moment a box of aeroblades. Grabbing one, she limped back towards where Morro had Lloyd. On the way, she pushed a vase off a shelf, making it shatter into a million pieces as it hit the ground. People were more likely to chase loud noises. As soon as Morro came into her view, she flung the areoblade at him. He sidestepped.

"Really?" He smirked. "You think you can kill me? You have no training, you're injured, and…" He blew the aeroblade into a wall as it started to return. "You have no weapon." She grabbed another figurine off a shelf and threw it at him. It passed through him harmlessly. Noticing Soul Archer and Bansha coming up behind her, she kept throwing things at him. If their attention was on her, it wasn't on Garmadon.

"You are so angry." He remarked as his guards came up behind her and grabbed her by the arms, restraining her.

"Does that shock you so much?" She snapped back. He snorted.

"No. But the violence surprises me a little bit."

"Ha! Did you forget what you did to my 'boyfriend'?" She snapped, kicking Soul Archer in the leg. Bansha deserved better.

"Just chain her up somewhere. And find the old man for me." Morro ordered, walking away. Okay. She needed to stall more.

"Bansha, you're better than this." She hissed as they started to drag her away. "Why are you doing this?"

"Morro gives the orders." She replied quietly, but her words had the desired effect, as Soul Archer stopped and snapped,

"Don't try to turn us against each other! It won't work!"

"If it's not working, why are you so mad?" She taunted him. He backhanded her across the face.

"Hey!" Bansha snapped as Lydia reeled from the blow. "Don't fall prey to petty taunts. Let's just chain her to something and be done with it." The archer muttered something under her breath, but obeyed.

"No, fall prey to my petty taunts!" She kicked him again. He ignored her. That's the end of that, then. They dragged her over to a table, Bansha procuring a pair of vengestone cuffs – apparently they didn't have anything else – and chaining her to the table leg. As they walked away, Lydia leaned back against the table leg, squeezing her eyes shut tight against the pain in her head. She could only hope she'd given Garmadon enough time to get away.

* * *

 **Yeah. I actually hate this chapter. It goes all over the place.**

 **See I had like... 6 or 7 different ideas for this chapter, and I was trying to decide what the heck kind of end result was going to happen, and... this is so cheesy. yikes.**

 **at least randomdragon got their random dragon :')**

 **~FFF**

 **P.S. Please pray for me that I will be able to finish this stinkin essay**


	30. Friendly Banter

**essays are hecks**

 **Review replies:**

 **KitKat: :'D Haha. I have crushes on like 5 fictional characters.**

 **Spottedfrost: I'm sure they'll be fine.**

 **Ebony: A black market pawn shop. Does it really shock you that he came across a baby dragon? And like... yeah, honestly. The trademark of a ninja is stealth, yet it seems like these dorks can barely manage it.**

 **NinjagoMLP: I'm glad :')**

 **Star: Everyone loves dragons. Even biting ones!**

 **INeedALife: It's done, but it's not great. Oh well.**

 **Big Sister of 8: I was kinda insulted when I read the first part, but then I read the rest, and I mean... same.**

* * *

" _Where_ is the old man?!" Morro demanded, pushing a vase off the counter and causing it to shatter on the floor. Lydia winced.

"And you say _I'm_ violent."

"Shut up and answer the question."

"I dunno." Lydia shrugged. "He might possibly have left. Because I told him to."

"Why would he leave his son? Especially since I hit him over the head and locked him in a cage!"

"'Cause I told him you were gonna kill him."

"I wasn't going to kill him."

"Sure." Lydia stared blankly at him. "You would kill him, then kill me next. You're probably going to kill me anyway, since clearly you don't want my information anymore."

"For your _information_ , since you kindly provided me with another hostage, I'd planned to threaten him to keep getting answers out of you while doing to Lloyd as I pleased." Morro crossed his arms. Lydia stared.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"That is so _wrong!_ "

"It's tactics."

"That's morally disgusting! Playing with my feelings at all is disgusting!"

"I'm not playing with your feelings, I'm- getting attached to someone is a weakness, and I'm exploiting it! That's how you win a battle!" He groaned. "Whatever. At this point it doesn't matter. Garmadon's escaped, so I suppose we're back to our old deal."

"No way. I don't care what you do to Lloyd, I'm not telling you anything after that stunt you pulled." She was bluffing. If he even got close to Lloyd, she would probably break down and tell him everything.

"I'll kill him." Morro threatened.

"Don't care. I'm not sacrificing Ninjago for Lloyd's life." He stepped back with a scowl, apparently not detecting her lie. Good. She glared at him until he walked off, then she finally chanced a look at Lloyd. The blond was locked in a deepstone cage, which was hanging a couple feet off the ground from a thick chain. Lloyd was crumpled in a heap inside, his eyes closed and blood trickling down his forehead. He must have been hit hard. Or Morro had done something else to him when she ran off…

Lydia bit her lip and looked away. Probably the best thing she could do now was act spiteful. She _really_ didn't want to give Morro what he wanted, but she couldn't let Lloyd get hurt more either. She had to keep Morro from trying to hurt him. But how? Faking information was out of the question, he would get suspicious if she was suddenly eager to answer his questions. Maybe she could attempt to escape. But, unless she was released from her chains, that wasn't going to happen. She couldn't pick a lock to save her life- probably literally in this case.

Across the room, Lloyd stirred and lifted his head. Lydia kept her eyes focused on the window, pretending not to notice. He was undoubtedly mad at her. They had had plenty of opportunities to escape, and she had insisted they stay, insisting she had it under control. Lloyd had paid the price.

"L-Lydia?" He croaked after a minute. She looked over at him, feigning surprise at him being awake.

"Lloyd. Are you okay?"

"I have a s-splitting headache, but I'll be okay." He pushed himself up a bit. "Did he hurt you?"

"What? Not really. You're _bleeding_."

"I am?" He lifted his head to touch the blood on his forehead, then looked at it. "Oh. It's just a scratch."

"Like… _actually_ just a scratch, or I-have-to-be-tough just a scratch?" Lloyd cracked a smile at that.

"Actually just a scratch. And a bump, but that's not really bleeding. Are you okay?"

"Mm-hmm." She looked away again. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Being an idiot. We had plenty of opportunities to escape, but I didn't take them because I'm apparently infatuated with Morro. And now you're locked up in a cage with God knows what going to be done to you."

"It's not your fault. You couldn't have known Morro was going to break his promise."

"Well… technically… he didn't." Lydia ran a hand through her tangled hair. "I broke it first. The night he kissed me, I told him I wouldn't give him any more information because this path leads to his death. Him asking me why the heck I cared lead to me telling him I used to love him, which lead to him kissing me, so… I forgot about it. And that lead to him hurting you and locking you up, so… really it's all my fault."

"Well…" He paused. "…where's my dad?"

"After Morro knocked you out, I told him to run away, to escape while I distracted them. A few minutes ago, Morro threw a tantrum because he couldn't find him, so… I think he got away safe. I did one thing right." Lloyd visibly relaxed.

"Yeah. Morro would have killed him."

"I had the same thought, but Morro insists he only wanted him because he figured he could do whatever with you and threaten your dad to get me to keep giving him info. He offered to reinstate… or… whatever word should be used in this context, our old deal, but I told him nothing he did would get me to talk now." She sighed, resting her chin in her hand. "I lied. I just hope he believes me and doesn't _try_ to hurt you." Lloyd shook his head.

"Lydia, why do you make so many risky moves?" The brunette shrugged.

"A self-destructive desire to live on the edge?" He smiled a bit.

"Well, you did live with us for a while. You probably picked up some of our trademark recklessness."

"Wouldn't shock me." Lloyd seemed a little exasperated with her, but not mad. So at least there was that. "So you… you actually have a crush on me?"

"Yeah." Lloyd blushed, but answered honestly. "I really wasn't ever going to tell you."

"That's… really selfless of you. Especially considering I'm so oblivious I would _never_ figure it out on my own." The blond chuckled.

"I guess I did a good job of hiding it."

"That and I'm oblivious."

"You are." Lloyd granted. "But better for me if I'm trying to hide it."

"Mmm." She paused. "Does it have to be really awkward between us now? I don't… like you like that, but I do still want to be your friend."

"Me too. I'll do my best to keep it from being awkward." He gave her a shy smile, and she returned it. "Morro will be disappointed, though. He ships us." Lydia snorted.

"Are you kidding? That's hilarious. Wait, but he kissed me. What was that about?"

"I asked him the same thing! He mumbled something about trying to inspire me to make my move and changed the subject. I think he might have a crush on you too." Lydia sighed, leaning back against the table.

"Is _anyone_ aware that I already have a boyfriend?" Lloyd stared.

"You what?"

"I have a boyfriend back on earth." She elaborated. "His name is Cameron. I didn't expect you to know, but Morro was in my _head_. He should know at least that." The blond blinked.

"…oh."

"That's another reason I've been trying to avoid falling in love. That would be cheating." She rested her chin on her hand again. "Unfortunately, I appear to have been placed in a situation with several single, handsome young men." Lloyd frowned.

"'Several'?"

"You, Morro, Kai, Cole. I'm not counting Jay and Zane because they're kinda taken. Plus, Jay's not really my type. He's kinda dorky." Lloyd blinked.

"You… think Kai is attractive? You and him don't even get along!"

"Yeah, and? I can't deny that he's physically attractive. He's in good shape, and he has good features and a nice tan. He is attractive." The blond stared.

"It's so weird to hear you talking about the guy who partially raised me like that."

"Sorry. Do I need to explain why Cole is hot?"

"Can you explain why _I'm_ hot?" Lloyd raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"You said you would try not to make things awkward. I think this falls into that category."

"Please? I'm locked in a cage with a bleeding head and I'm probably about to be tortured. I could use some compliments."

"Oh, fine." She studied him for a moment before starting to speak. "You're very muscular and well-proportioned, and you have a wonderful smile that probably breaks a lot of hearts. You can be very dashing when you're trying. But I'd say you're more cute than hot, considering you have a head of curly, platinum-blond hair and eyes that soften when you smile. You also give great hugs." Lloyd stared.

"That was such a glowing description of me that if I didn't know better I'd say you love me."

"Good thing you know better."

"Ouch."

"Sorry."

"Sorry to break up whatever-this-is, lovebirds," A loud voice made Lydia jump, and she turned to see Morro walking into the room behind her, a crowbar over his shoulder. "But we have more important things to attend to." Reaching Lloyd's cage, Morro unlocked the door, grabbing Lloyd by the shoulder and yanking him out roughly to tumble onto the floor. "Let's see if you care about the boy as little as you claim."

* * *

 **well that can't be good**

 **but at least Garmadon is okay!**

 **...**

 **for now**

 **~FFF**


	31. Yikes

**Well that was a productive day at col leg**

 **Review replies:**

 **Ebony: I considered doing this plot thing where they don't talk to each other and both think the other is mad at them and cry themselves to sleep at night but I decided against it because that's overdone.**

 **Marblebird: Hi! :D**

 **Tex: I don't... know what that is lol. I don't read/watch much batman.**

 **KitKat: Hang on, when did Lloyd backstab anyone? He's a nice guy.**

 **Zena: Between who? Garmadon and Lloyd already reunited once.**

 **Star: _I_ won't. Morro, on the other hand... ehhh...**

 **Guest: I mean, kind of? I don't think at this point they're in a real relationship.**

* * *

"Wait!" Lydia exclaimed as Morro lifted the crowbar from his shoulder. The ghost gave her a side-eyed glance.

"What?"

"Where'd you get that?" She pointed at the crowbar. "I mean, I've never seen one here before. I didn't know crowbars were even a thing in Ninjago."

"It was lying around in here. Ronin had a dragon, you think a crowbar is such a stretch?" He tossed the bar in the air and caught it, and Lydia noticed Lloyd flinching as it came close to hitting him. "Now are you going to talk, or am I going to have to show Lloyd just how heavy this is?" Lydia frowned.

"I… feel like you were trying to be clever with that statement, but you really weren't."

"Just answer the question." Lydia took a deep breath, then let it out.

"No." As Morro raised the bar to hit Lloyd, she quickly continued. "It doesn't matter what I do. You'll hurt him anyway, won't you?" Morro paused.

"No I won't. What makes you think that?"

"I gave you information, and you beat him over the head and put him in a cage. Now you're threatening to do worse if I don't talk. What's stopping you from doing it again?"

"You forgot the part where you _refused_ to give me information you promised me." Morro snapped. "Which is what you're doing right now."

"That doesn't matter! You'll still do it anyway!"

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do! Because I know you!" The ghost looked unconvinced.

"Fine. You know what? You can 'know' whatever you want. But here's one thing you can count on: If you don't give me information, I _will_ kill him." Morro raised the crowbar again, and Lydia squeezed her eyes shut as she heard it slam into Lloyd's head.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"Guys," Jay yelled, bounding into the bridge of the Bounty. "Guess what! I have good news and good news and bad news." The others looked up from the table they were gathered around, and Nya waved him over.

"What's up?" She asked as he hurried over to take a seat.

"Okay, the first good news is that Cyrus Borg was able to recall his mech. We have the Sword of Sanctuary back!" There were murmurs of assent from around the table. "The bad news is, we lost Lydia. I tracked Nya's bug to a field out in the middle of nowhere, and Zane sent his falcon to check it out. No Lydia. The bug must have fallen off while she was travelling." Nya sighed.

"Oh well."

"And the second good news-" Jay's grin widened. "Sensei Garmadon is back!"

"What?" Came exclamations from around the table. Jay held up a remote and hit a button, and a news report came up on the screen.

"…dragons landed in the center of the city of Stiix yesterday, lead by a hostile elemental master who sent all opposition flying into the sea with unknown forces." A male voice droned as what looked like a cell-phone video of Morro landing in Stiix, Lydia sitting behind him on his dragon, with two other dragons landing close behind, played on the screen. One of the dragons was Lloyd's, and the video caught him helping his father down from his father's back before the videographer was blown off the bridge into the sea. Jay hit another button and the video minimized, and the redhead turned back to the rest with a wide grin.

"See? He's alive!"

"But- but how?" Sensei stammered. "That's not possible! There's no way to escape the Cursed-" The elderly man was interrupted by a chime from the screen- the Bounty's ringtone. Frowning, Nya hit a button on her bracelet, and a video call came up on the screen.

"Hello, brother."

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

Lloyd got hurt a lot in his line of work, but rarely did he feel as much like a punching bag as he did now.

Morro had beaten him badly, mainly avoiding his head when he hit him so he wouldn't be knocked out. His left arm felt broken, and the rest of him was badly bruised. Now he was in his cage again, which didn't have nearly the room he wished he had to stretch out in. The cuffs on his wrists didn't help anything ether.

He couldn't help being mad at Lydia, even though he knew it wasn't her fault. He had tried to focus on her rather than Morro while he was being beaten, and all she had done was hide her face, silent. She hadn't even tried to stop it, just flinched when she heard his cries of pain. She was probably right in that Morro would have beaten him anyway, but she could have at least tried!

…no, he wasn't thinking rationally. The only way to save him would be to tell Morro how to beat the ninja, dooming Ninjago to be cursed. She was right, Ninjago was worth more than he was.

Still, mentally and physically, it hurt.

Lloyd shifted in his cage, trying to ease the pain of his pounding head, and opened his eyes for a moment to see a glowing, green figure outside his cage. Morro had placed a guard on him. Why? It wasn't like he could even try to escape in this state. And it wasn't to keep Lydia away from him either, she was chained to a table.

"Have anything you feel like telling me now?" Lloyd flinched at Morro's loud voice, and shifted a bit to get a better view of him, standing over Lydia and smirking. The brunette lifted her head from her knees to look at him.

"Yeah. To buzz off." Lloyd felt a surge of pride. That's my girl.

"Really? Next time I won't be so gentle with the brat. Maybe I'll kill him."

"You won't kill him." Lydia rolled her eyes. "That would be bad tactics. If I keep insisting you won't kill him, and then you kill him, it will be too late to prove it to me, and you'll have no one to threaten me with. Then I'll be so distraught and hate you so much you won't get anything out of me but curses." Morro pondered this for a moment.

"You're right." He admitted. "I won't kill him. But I'll make him wish I had." Lloyd cringed. That didn't sound particularly appealing. "I'll beat him every day and cut him to make him bleed." The ghost threatened, taking a step closer to her. "I'll starve him, give him barely enough food to live on. I'll take away his warm clothes and let him freeze at night. I'll-"

"Alright!" Lydia interrupted. "I'll tell you." She sounded _extremely_ annoyed. "But I have terms too." Smirking, Morro stepped back.

"Name them."

"Let Lloyd out of the cage. Bring him over here with me, _gently_. And leave him unchained, you know he's not strong enough to escape anyway." Morro crossed his arms.

"Very well."

"And uncuff me. You know I won't leave without Lloyd, and in his state there's no way I can get out with him."

"Fine."

"And give me a decent amount of food and water. I haven't eaten in days, and I'm pretty sure Lloyd hasn't either."

"Fine. But information first."

"Let Lloyd out first." Morro rolled his eyes, but started towards Lloyd's cage, motioning for the guard to move out of the way as he unlocked the door and swung it open. Lloyd squeezed his eyes shut as he expected to be roughly hauled to his feet, but instead he felt wind pick up around him, lifting him up and carefully carrying him across the room towards Lydia. As he was lowered onto the floor next to her, Morro warned her,

"If you withhold information from me again, I'll just take him back."

"Of course you would." Lloyd shifted to a more comfortable position, and he felt Lydia's hand rest on his head. "Now uncuff me."

"Information first."

"Fine." Lydia sounded exasperated, but complied. "The sword in the cloud clue refers to the Sword of Sanctuary in Cloud Kingdom. I dunno why you went to all the trouble to make me tell you that, Bansha already knows. Anyway, there's only one sword, and the ninja undoubtedly have it by now. So, moving onto the next clue, the only way you find the tomb is by looking at the map on the back of the Scroll of Airjitzu in the reflection of the Sword of Sanctuary's blade.

"I do not have the location memorized, but I might be able to give you the general area if I had a map in front of me. Your other option is to go fight the ninja all at once to get the Sword and probably the original scroll from them, a basically suicidal endeavor assuming you can even find them. Any questions?" There was stunned silence for a moment.

"Uh… not currently." Morro said at last, sounding a bit confused.

"Good. Uncuff us." Lloyd heard the rattle of keys, then his wrists were grabbed one by one as Morro removed his cuffs. He emitted a pained noise as his broken arm was jarred, but neither Morro nor Lydia seemed to notice. "And bring us food." She added as Lloyd heard their cuffs being dropped to the ground.

"Of course, your majesty." Morro mocked her before walking away. Lloyd felt a dizzy feeling come over him as Lydia slid her hand through his hair, followed by his consciousness starting to fade. The last thing he heard was "I'm sorry," whispered in his ear before he passed out.

* * *

 **Contrary to popular belief, Lydia did not just completely mess up there. This is all going according to plan.**

 **...**

 **~FFF**


	32. Where Are You Going

**in the past 2 days I have received 31 reviews on this fanfiction**

 **Review replies:  
**

 **Tex: Hmm, death. Sounds interesting enough.**

 **Zena: Who says they're gonna escape?**

 **KitKat: Mood (but also you're giving me flashbacks to that Dr. Seuss book fox in socks which is funny because this fic has a Dr. Seuss quote for a title)**

 **SpottedFrost: Ha. Yeah, DotD isn't going to happen at this point.**

 **Ebony: I mean, it's not like the underwater opening is the only way into the tomb. Morro still has a chance.**

 **RandomDragon: Everything is going according to plan**

 **Star:** _ **Everything is going according to plan**_

 **Candaru: okay but tbh that is always my reaction to reading a great story and having to stop because it's not finished like. what the heck. write faster. also I DO proofread when I actually like... am doing something serious with my work, but the fact that this is just fanfiction + I very rarely make mistakes anyway makes it not really work the time lol**

* * *

"Lloyd." Lydia whispered to the blond lying prone on the ground next to her. "Lloyd?" He didn't answer. He must have fallen asleep, as he was obviously still breathing and not dead. "Sorry I got you beat up." She whispered, though he obviously couldn't hear her. "It's for your own good, I promise." He didn't move. Sighing, Lydia grabbed him by the upper arms and tugged him as gently as she could halfway onto her lap. She figured her lap was more comfortable than the wooden floor.

On the other side of the room, Morro was barking orders, for what purpose she wasn't really sure. It wasn't like he could really do much, considering he couldn't beat the ninja. Finally, he reappeared, a scroll in his hand. He wrinkled up his nose at the sight of Lloyd lying on her lap, but didn't comment on it, tossing the scroll to her instead.

"The map on the back should match the one on the original scroll." He said as she unrolled it. "See if you recognize it."

"Don't suppose you have something for me to mark this with?" She asked, studying the map. She did recognize it, though she was a bit surprised Morro actually trusted her to tell him the real location of the tomb. Maybe he figured he had her sufficiently scared into submission.

"Hang on." Morro ran off, then came back a moment later with her bag of paper and pencils, dropping it next to her. She dug a pencil out of it and drew an X on the aged paper, then handed it back to Morro.

"I think that's it." She said as he frowned at it.

"Alright. Good." With that, he walked off, apparently not bother by the fact that his tomb was in the ocean. Sighing, Lydia ran her hand through Lloyd's hair again. Poor thing. She really did have a good reason for letting him get beat up. She wished he would wake up so she could tell him, she didn't want him to be mad at her.

As Lloyd didn't look like he was going to actually wake up anytime soon, Lydia focused on something else. Since she was obviously making no progress with Morro, and he was getting murderous, now might be a good time for her to escape. But, like she had told Morro, she couldn't. If only she could get a message to the Ninja… but she had no way of communicating with them. She couldn't even write them a letter, they couldn't read her-

…wait.

There was _one_ ninja who could read her writing.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"Garmadon!" Wu was the first to embrace his brother when he climbed over the Bounty's railing, barely having a chance to get his footing before he was smothered in a hug. "It's so good to see you."

"As it is to see you, brother." Garmadon smiled, squeezing him back for a moment before pulling away. "And you too, ninja." The ninja, watching from a few feet away, nodded respectfully.

"I'm sorry Misako is not here to greet you," Wu started as he headed back towards the bridge, motioning for his brother to follow. "but she is watching the tea shop while we're away."

"Tea shop?" Garmadon raised an eyebrow, following. "I suppose I have a lot to catch up on."

"Indeed you do." As the former dark lord stepped into the bridge, his eyes widened at the sight of the figures sitting at the table inside.

"Ray? Maya?"

"Garmadon!" Maya shot to her feet, hurrying over to hug him. "It's been so long!"

"Too long." He agreed, hugging her back. "What happened to you two? Everyone thought you were dead!"

"Kidnapped by Krux, actually." Ray explained, following his wife over and putting a hand on Garmadon's shoulder. "He threatened Kai and Nya's lives if we tried to escape, so we didn't. Ironically enough, they were the ones who ended up rescuing us from him." Garmadon raised an eyebrow at the mention of Krux, but didn't comment.

"Sorry to break up the reunion," Kai spoke up. "But we should really get back to finding Lloyd. Sensei Garmadon, you were with him. How did you escape? For that matter, how did you escape the Cursed Realm?" Garmadon nodded, pulling away from Maya and moving to sit down at the table. He had promised to tell them everything in person, having given them very few details concerning his freedom during the video call.

"Lydia freed me with the Allied Armor." He began once he was settled. "She summoned me, which she described as… 'cheating the universe', I believe. Morro was very hostile towards me, because I… killed him, which is a story for another time." He added quickly, noticing his brother's shocked stare. "We left the next day for Stiix, and upon our arrival at Ronin's abandoned shop, Morro attacked Lloyd," Kai visibly tensed. "And Lydia insisted I flee for fear that Morro would kill me. She distracted them while I ran. I went to the authorities in Stiix, and they got me to Ninajgo city, where I contacted you." Garmadon looked around the room, looking each of the ninja in the eye. "If what Lydia told me is true, Morro hasn't been so aggressive until now. Lloyd is in real danger now."

"That lines up with what Lydia told me, too." Nya confirmed. "She told me she was safe, even making progress with Morro. Not anymore, apparently."

"Lydia may be in danger now as well," Zane interjected. "If Morro is showing his true colors."

"Well, Lloyd is higher priority." Kai crossed his arms. "'Cause, if Morro possesses him, we lose our…" The brunette trailed off, lifting his hand and summoning a weak flame. Try as he might, he couldn't make it any bigger. Nervously, he looked up at Nya. "…what does that mean?" Nya frowned.

"I think… Lydia told me that your powers are inherently connected to Lloyd, so, if your powers are weak, that means…" she trailed off.

"Lloyd's weak too." Cole finished for her. She nodded.

"Ugh!" Kai punched the wall. "I knew this was going to happen! Who cares what Lydia says, we need to stop Morro before he does something worse!"

"I'm pretty sure Lydia would agree with you, considering she had Sensei Garmadon flee." Nya pointed out. "But how? They're holed up in Ronin's shop, and if we attack then Morro will probably just threaten Lloyd. Or Lydia, for that matter."

"Take them by surprise." Kai shrugged. "It's Stiix. Just lift the ocean up underneath them and kill all the ghosts." Nya shook her head.

"I don't… think I'm strong enough for that. And if I mess up, Morro could hurt or kill one of his hostages in retribution." Kai frowned.

"He wouldn't… I don't think he would kill them. But we can't take that chance." The others nodded gravely.

"I suppose we should just go after the Realm Crystal, then." Zane spoke up.

"That's probably our best course of action, yes." Cole agreed. "Come on, let's go collect the Sword of Sanctuary from Borg."

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"Get up. We're leaving." Lydia blinked her eyes open as a foot nudged her in the side, and she looked up to see Morro standing over her.

"What? Leaving?" She asked after a moment of stunned silenced. "Where? Why?"

"You and I are going to scope out the area you pointed out on the map. You're going to tell me if you recognize anything, understand?" She blinked.

"Uhh… I guess."

"Good. Get up."

"Give me a minute. I'm tired." Morro rolled his eyes, but nodded and walked away. Leaning down, Lydia whispered loudly, "Lloyd? Lloyd, wake up." She patted his head gently, and he stirred. "Lloyd." She whispered again. "Can you hear me?"

"Mm-hmm." He hummed softly.

"Okay. Morro's making me come with him to see if we can find the tomb, but before I left I wanted to tell you- I'm really sorry I let Morro beat you up, but I promise, it's for a good reason." Lloyd frowned, still not opening his eyes.

"An' what's that?"

"Morro can't possess you if you're hurt. He'd feel the pain too. And since he won't possess you, the ninja will still have their powers. Now they have the advantage in a fight,"

"Oh… okay." He didn't sound mad. Good sign.

"Now I really have to go before Morro gets mad." Carefully, Lydia eased Lloyd off her lap, lowering his head to the floor as gently as she could. Then, grabbing her bag and swinging the strap over her head, she struggled to her feet and limped over to where Morro was talking to Bansha.

"Keep an eye on Lloyd." He was saying to Bansha as she approached. "But don't hurt him. Any more injury would probably kill him." The sorceress nodded, then walked away, probably to relay Morro's instructions to the others, as Morro took her by the arm and lead her outside. Lydia glanced around Stiix as he summoned his dragon, noting the lack of people. Scared away by Morro, probably.

"Come on." Morro urged her, tugging her towards his dragon until she accepted his help in climbing onto its back. Once she was settled in the saddle, he climbed on in front of her and took off. Wrapping one arm around his waist, Lydia fumbled with the clasp on her satchel with her free hand, getting it open as he took off and pulling out a paper airplane. It was a bit squished, but it would still fly. Once they were about ten feet up, she threw it down towards Stiix, repeating the process with two more. Closing her bag, she wrapped her other arm around Morro's waist, watching the airplanes float down towards the city. Now all she could do was wait, and hope the ninja got her message before it was too late.

* * *

 **Try Airplane™**

 **~FFF**

 **P.S. Candaru don't think about Lydia having to hold onto Morro while they're flying even though she's mad at him. Don't think about his reaction to that. Just don't think about it.**


	33. 第三十三章

**so I probably could have updated way sooner but Candaru is distracting me with memes smh**

 **Review replies:**

 **KitKat: They do their best.**

 **Star: what are you talking about, this is a great plan**

 **Candaru: "why" "safety"**

 **RandomDragon: *sweating* of course... it worked... when do her plans not work**

 **Ebony: Don't worry, nothing inconvenient ever occurs**

 **Guest: HERE COME THE SHIPPERS**

 **MarbleBird: yeah morro's a jerk I don't know what I see in him**

* * *

"What confuses me is the first test." Lydia mused, leaning her arm against the back of Morro's neck as they flew. "I can't figure out whether spinjitzu actually activates a change, or if it just gives you the key to the puzzle. Now, I really can't _test that_ , for risk of opening the door too soon and activating some death trap that would kill us all instantly. So that's gonna nag at me for eternity. Which begs the question-"

"Can you _please,_ " Morro interrupted. " _Stop_ talking for the sole purpose of hearing yourself speak?"

"I'm _not_ , baka. I'm _theorizing_." The ghost raised an eyebrow.

"You speak Japanese?"

"What do you mean 'Japanese'? There's no Japan here! You shouldn't know what that is! Or is there…" She mused, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

"Just answer the question."

"No, I don't speak Japanese." Lydia folded her arms. "I only know a couple of important words. Why? Do _you_ speak Japanese?"

"Alright, first of all, I would think that there are far more important words to know than 'idiot'. Secondly, yes, I do. And since you don't, that means I can swear in Japanese without you complaining. 非常にかわいく止めてください。 それは迷惑になります" Lydia blinked as Morro began presumably cussing her out in Japanese.

"If you _tell me_ that you're gonna swear, _yeah_ I'm gonna be bothered." He ignored her. "Well, heck you too then." She sighed, wrapping both arms around him and resting her forehead on his shoulder. He stiffened, but kept talking. "あなたは本当に朝に私を悩ますことをお詫びしますか？ 私がよく分からなければ、私が言っていることをあなたが知っていたと言うことができます。"

After about an hour of them fighting on and off, they made it to the location marked on the map. It only looked vaguely familiar, but Lydia could at least tell where she was.

"Alright, so, uh… I think the tomb is directly underneath us now." The brunette gestured to the ocean below them vaguely. "You're gonna need like a submarine or something to get down there, though."

"Great. And where am I supposed to find one of those?" He muttered something in Japanese under his breath.

"Alright, first of all, stop swearing at me, okay? It gets annoying. Secondly-"

"I'm not swearing." He interrupted.

"Really?" She blinked. "Then what are you saying?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yeah, duh, that's why I asked." She crossed her arms again.

"Well, too bad. It's just another one of life's great mysteries. 私は彼女にキスしたら、彼女は黙るだろうと思う。" Lydia whipped out a piece of paper from her bag and began writing down the words. "Wait. What are you doing?"

"I figure one of the ninja or Wu or Misako knows Japanese. I'm writing down what you say so when I see them again I can ask what it-" Morro snatched the paper from her, crumpled it up into a ball, and threw it into the ocean. Lydia blinked. "Rude."

"Don't do that." He ordered, pointing an accusatory finger at her before turning away. Lydia rolled her eyes and focused on memorizing what he was saying instead. "Now, you never answered my question. Where am I supposed to get a submarine?"

"Steal one from Cyrus Borg? Or steal Ronin's, it's probably around his shop, where we… live. Not sure where exactly though. Like… under the boards, in the scaffolding somewhere. Or…" Lydia trailed off as she spotted an opening in one of the rock formations. Was that… the way out of the tomb? Could they just walk in that way? It couldn't be that easy… could it?

Whatever the case, she couldn't let Morro know it was a possibility. She had to get him back to Stiix.

"Or what?" Morro asked, breaking her out of her thoughts, and she looked up just in time to see him follow her gaze over to the opening.

"Nothing." She said quickly as he opened his mouth to speak again. "I… don't remember what I was gonna say. I got distracted… by… seagulls." Morro raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

"Alright. Where would I find this 'Cyrus Borg' and his mechs?"

"Uhh… in Ninjago City, probably."

"Where the ninja are constantly patrolling." He muttered. "So our best bet is to get Ronin's airship, then."

"Yeah." Lydia nodded. To her surprise, instead of turning around to fly back, Morro flew to the nearest rock formation, landing his dragon on top of it. "Why are we stopping?"

"I need to rest." The ghost replied, climbing off the dragon and offering her a hand. "Maintaining a dragon isn't easy as it looks."

"Oh." Lydia accepted his hand off the dragon, then sat down on the sun-warmed stone. "So… are you going to grill me some more, or not-swear at me in Japanese, or… what?" He sighed.

"あなたはとても気を散らしています… No. I'm going to rest." Clasping his hands behind his head, Morro sat down near the edge of the platform, staring out at the sea.

Then, before Lydia's eyes, he vanished.

"Uhhh… Morro?" She said aloud. Had he turned invisible? "Morro!" She called, looking back and forth. No, he didn't even know how to turn invisible, did he? "Morro?" Abruptly, he reappeared, stumbling and falling a few feet from where he had sat down a moment, ago. "Morro!" Lydia scrambled to her feet as he rolled over on his back, gasping for breath, and she hurried towards him. "What happened?"

"I was- transported somewhere?" He tried to explain through gasps for breath. "Everything was grey, and there were people attacking me…"

"I don't- I don't have any idea what that was about." Lydia shook her head, sinking down next to him. "I've never heard of anything like that ever happening." Morro let out a shuddering breath, laying his arm over his eyes.

"It happened once before. When I was in your prison. I was transported to a mountain during a snowstorm, and when I came back I was out of my cuffs. With my hands free, I managed to break the lock and escape." Lydia frowned, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Probably the Wailing Alps, but what- ohhhhhhh no."

"What?" Morro uncovered his eyes to frown up at her."

"It- that was a few days after you would have captured Lloyd, so in the original timeline, you would be in the Wailing Alps." Lydia stared down at him, eyes wide. "I think the universe is breaking."

"What?"

"Okay, but at this point in time you would be…" She paused. "Dead. What you saw was the Departed Realm."

" _What?_ " Morro pushed himself up into a sitting position. "So you… you were telling the truth about me dying?"

"Of course I was! Why would I lie about something like that?"

"To scare me into stopping?"

"Well, maybe. But I wasn't!"

"Alright, I believe you now. But… is the universe breaking a bad thing?"

"Uhhh… I don't know. I mean, all that's happened so far is you getting sucked into another timeline for a couple seconds. It's probably not that bad… yet."

"I don't like the 'yet'."

"I'm sure it will be fine. At least, until I get sent home. Probably my presence here is messing things up, and when I go home things will go back to normal." Morro sobered slightly, staring up at the sky

"We should go back." He said at last.

"No, you were just dead. There. For a moment. More dead than usual. Anyway, stay here and rest more. You're not leaving this rock until you've rested up."

"Or what?" He raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"Or I'll swear at you." She threatened. "In _Italian_." Morro let out a bark of laughter.

"You speak Italian?"

"No," She admitted. "Not a word. Wait, there's no Italy here. How do you know what Italian is?"

"Oh not this again."

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"This is going way more smoothly than the last time we tried to get to the tomb." Jay remarked as he stepped out of Cyrus's mech and into the softly-glowing tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master. Cole smacked him.

"Don't jinx us." He said sternly.

"Guys, wait." Nya called, putting up a hand as she stood with one foot on the shore. "We're receiving a call from the Bounty." The water ninja leaned over to hit a button as the rest of the ninja hurried over to look, and Wu and Misako popped up on the small screen.

"Thank goodness you're still in the mech." Sensei's voice crackled over the speakers. "I was worried we'd missed you."

"Caught us just in the nick of time, Sensei." Cole assured him. "What's up?"

"This," The elderly man held up a paper airplane. "was found in Stiix with the word 'ninja' written on the side. When unfolded, it reveals this message," Wu unfolded the paper. "in Lydia's language. Nya, she was teaching you to read it. Can you?"

"Still a bit rusty, but I can try." Nya leaned closer to the screen, squinting at the words on the rather-crumpled piece of paper. "It's… a cheat sheet." She said after a moment, surprised. "Answers. She's sent us the answers to every test."

* * *

 **I wonder what morro was saying**

 **so uhh... there's a poll on my profile now. Go check it out.**

 **~FFF**


	34. Yikes: The Sequel

**Re: the poll: So far it's pretty close. Lydia x Morro is ahead by one vote.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Spottedfrost: It was an accident.**

 **Ebony: I mean, there's a whole planet there. Would be awfully weird if there was just the dark island and Ninjago.**

 **Candaru: how am I supposed to reply to this review there's so much there let me just say heck and figure that sums it all up**

 **KitKat: Have you seen the video I made with that song? OwO**

 **Star: It just.,,, it does**

 **Chan: So did I. Way ahead of you. And there's a whole planet there...**

* * *

"Lydia, wake up. We need to go back." Lydia rolled over onto her stomach, groaning as a hand touched her arm.

"Heck off, I'm sleeping."

"Baka." The voice muttered. "Come on, it's getting late. Lloyd's gonna worry about you." Oh right, Lloyd. Wait, where the heck was she? Somewhere a lot colder than the warm rock she had fallen asleep on. The brunette lifted her head slowly, looking around what reminded her of Morro's cave base. "Where the heck-"

"You fell asleep, and I was afraid you would get sunburned, so I brought you into a cave that I saw earlier." Lydia rolled over to see Morro sitting cross-legged on the ground behind her, watching her with the hint of a smile on his face.

"Oh. That's, uhhh… really sweet of you, actually." She rolled over on her back, rubbing her eyes. Wait, cave? The only cave she saw was the exit of the tomb, so… Quickly, she sat up, eyes scanning the small cave. The only opening was the one to the outside, where the sky was dark purple. Just a cave.

"Something wrong?" Morro raised an eyebrow.

"Uhhh… no. Just realized how late it was." Lydia lied, standing up and stretching her arms above her head. "Let's hurry back. I'm hungry."

"If you insist." Morro got to his feet as well, leading her out to the ledge outside and summoning his dragon, helping her up onto its back before climbing on himself. She wrapped her arms around him in preparation for takeoff, but it never took place, as a minor earthquake rocked the… rock. The two glanced at each other.

"Uhhh-" Lydia started, but broke off with a yelp as the dragon vanished, Morro catching her with a gust of wind and setting her on her feet.

"That came from in there." The ghost pointed to the cave, already walking towards it.

"Wh- are we sure we should be going _towards_ the ominous rumbling? What if the rock's collapsing?" Still, she followed, ignoring the twinge in her ankle. As she hurried down the slanted path into the cave, her eyes widened. The entire back wall was _gone_. Instead of bare rock, there was now a passage – one lit by blue light.

"Oh." She said aloud, and Morro grabbed her wrist, pulling her with him as he ran with the passage. "Ow!" She yelped as she misstepped, pain shooting up her injured leg. "Morro, my ankle!"

"Sorry." He slowed, but didn't stop, continuing to hurry down the slanted path. As they turned a corner, a huge chamber loomed up in front of them, one with a river running down the center of it.

Fifty feet in front of them were the ninja, Kai lifting the Realm Crystal from its' resting place.

"Hand over the Realm Crystal!" Morro yelled, shoving Lydia towards the edge of the pit that the river flowed into. "Or else!" After the initial exclamations of shock from the ninja, Kai yelled back,

"Or else what?"

"Or else-" Morro shoved Lydia towards the edge again, ignoring her struggles and protests as he grabbed her by the back of the shirt and pushed her to the edge. "Or else I'll let her fall!"

"He won't do it!" Lydia yelled to them, twisting to look at them. "Just get out of here!" To Morro, she added, "Push me off. I dare you."

"I'll do it." Morro yelled, ignoring her. "There's no way she'll survive a fall like that. And none of you will make it in time to save her." In a lower voice, he said to her, "Stop making this so difficult. Just play along, why don't you?"

"Fat chance. I promised Lloyd I wouldn't let you win."

"And that's another thing." Morro called over to the ninja. "I have Lloyd as well. If you don't give me the Realm Crystal, I'll let her fall, then fly back to where I'm keeping him and kill him too. You won't be able to find him in time to stop me."

"He's in Ronin's pawn shop." Lydia yelled, deadpan. Morro only smirked.

"Not anymore."

"Wait. What?" How could he have moved Lloyd since they left? He had been talking to Bansha, but… had he…?

"You have one minute." Morro shouted, and the ninja began to whisper loudly amongst themselves.

"You're not going to drop me." Lydia hissed.

"Of course not." The ghost replied offhandedly. "But they don't know that." Lydia just rolled her eyes. Unfortunately, he was right, they would believe him over her when it came to threats of death and murder. After a moment, Kai stood up straight, facing them.

"Alright." He yelled over. "We'll give you the Realm Crystal."

"Throw it." Morro ordered. The red ninja obeyed, tossing it towards him. The ghost caught it in a breeze, carrying it the rest of the way towards him. "Thanks." He grinned, pulling Lydia back from her precarious position at the edge of the cliff.

"Now give us back our friends." Kai snapped. Lydia touched a hand to her heart.

"He called me his friend."

"Uh, no." Morro called back with a laugh. "That wasn't part of the agreement."

"I _told_ you not to give it to him!" Lydia yelled, crossing her arms.

"What else were we supposed to do? He threatened you and Lloyd!" Nya protested.

"He wouldn't kill me! And he wouldn't kill Lloyd for fear of me killing him!"

"Yeah I would." Morro muttered.

"Then I'd kill you." Lydia hissed, turning around to face him.

"You can try."

"I would win!"

"Doesn't matter. Let's just go. I have a Realm to curse, after all." Lydia punched him in the face. Letting out a yell, Morro shoved her away.

…right off the edge of the cliff and into the pit.

" _Lydia!_ " She heard Nya scream, though Lydia couldn't seem to do the same. Scream, that is. Falling had this weird effect on her. Above her, she could see blue light getting further and further away, the water cascading over the edge, and… oddly enough, Morro, leaning over the edge with an arm outstretched towards her. The next thing she knew, wind was roaring in her ears, and she was floating back up.

After what felt like forever, but had probably been less than thirty seconds, Morro had lifted her out of the pit and set her gently on the stone a couple feet away from him. Lydia stared up blankly at the ceiling for a moment before sitting up.

"That was an experience." She remarked. Morro just stared at her, still perched on the edge of the cliff with a hand stretched towards her. She stared back until a movement behind him caught her attention, and she looked up to see the ninja charging towards them. "Uh oh." His head snapping around, Morro sprung to his feet, taking a fighting stance as he threw them all back with a gust of wind.

"Come on!" He snapped, grabbing her by the wrist and halting to her feet. The brunette obeyed, still a bit dazed from her fall as she ran with him up through the tunnel out. She heard yelling behind them, but it was far enough away that she didn't bother turning around.

As soon as they made it to the ledge, Morro summoned his dragon, pulling her up with him as he climbed into the saddle and immediately taking off, forcing Lydia to throw her arms around his waist to keep from falling. She pressed her chin against his shoulder as they started off in the direction they had come. It was then that it dawned on her that _she had just almost died_. Another few seconds, and she would have been out of Morro's reach. She would be dead right now.

"Thanks for saving my life." She mumbled into his shoulder.

"No big deal." Was his reply. "I've done it before, after all."

"Yeah, but that time it was right after I saved _your_ life. This time it was right after I punched you in the face." Morro chuckled.

"It didn't really hurt. No offense, but you have a terrible punch."

"I know." She buried her face in his shoulder, squeezing her eyes shut.

"私があなたを救うたびにこれを行うつもりなら、私はあなたを死に近い状況に置かなければなりません。" Morro muttered under his breath.

"I wish I knew what you were saying."

"All good things, I assure you." He promised, removing a hand from the reigns to pat her hand. She hummed, but didn't respond. It was nighttime, and she was tired.

"Can I sleep?"

"No. You'll end up falling off the dragon."

"Then hold onto me, because I'm tired and you make a good pillow." Morro sighed, but laid an arm across hers to hold them in place.

"Fine. Sleep."

"Thanks babe." Lydia closed her eyes, ignoring his mutterings in… what sounded like French or something. Show off. Before long, or at least before they got back to Stiix, Lydia drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **Someone get this poor girl some help she keeps falling off cliffs**

 **~FFF**


	35. Have You Considered: Cartoons

**oh heck guys it's all tied up I honestly thought Morro x Lydia would be more popular but half of y'all are rooting for Lloyd**

 **Review replies:**

 **RandomDragon: I mean, it's a big planet, and Ninjago is a big island. Would it shock you to hear that different languages are spoken in different parts of the island?**

 **Ebony: The ninja are probably slightly annoyed at her, yeah. Except Nya. Nya knows things.**

 **Candaru: Heck I know that feeling. Like. It's a rare feeling. But I know that feeling. Also probably Kai is pretty pissed but I think Nya will get it.**

 **Ms. Cipher: She was mostly teasing him, yeah.**

 **MarbleBird: Mood**

 **KitKat: Can you be in two places at once?**

 **Star: She was tired and kinda hysterical, so, yeah.**

* * *

Lying on a wooden floor for hours on end wasn't exactly Lloyd's idea of a good time.

The blond lay motionless on the floor of Ronin's pawn shop, his broken arm throbbing dully. Nothing had happened for the past… day, since Lydia had left with Morro. Sometimes he would hear the other ghosts walking around, but that was it. He couldn't even sleep with the pain, so he was forced to just lie there, bored out of his mind.

After hours and hours of lying on the hard floor, Lloyd finally heard voices. He opened his eyes halfway to see Morro step into view, cradling Lydia's limp body in his arms with her bag slung over his shoulder. Alarmed, Lloyd lifted his head, his eyes widening. Noticing him, Morro rolled his eyes.

"She's just asleep." Kneeling, Morro gently laid the brunette on the ground next to him, grabbing a pillow from a nearby table and putting it under her head before straightening up and walking away. Frowning a bit, Lloyd reached his uninjured arm towards her, pressing his fingers against the inside of her wrist. Her pulse was strong. Good. She _was_ just asleep. He started to pull his hand back, then changed his mind, entwining his fingers with hers instead. She was asleep, right? She wouldn't mind. Unfortunately for him, she stirred less than a minute later, and he hastily pulled his hand back as she blinked her eyes open.

"Hi Lloyd." She mumbled, her eyes falling shut again. Before he could respond, they snapped back open. "Hey, he lied to me!"

"Huh?" Lloyd raised a confused eyebrow.

"Morro told me he moved you to another location, but he lied!"

"Uh… why? Just to mess with you?"

"He was threatening you to get the ninja to give him the Realm Crystal. He said if they didn't give it to him, he would go to where he was keeping you – he said it _wasn't_ here – and he would kill you. Unfortunately, it worked.

"W-wait, you mean…" Lloyd's eyes widened in alarm. "He got the Realm Crystal?"

"Unfortunately." Lydia sighed, running her hands down her face. "I tried to stop him. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"I won't let him curse Ninjago, I promise."

"I believe you. But please, Lydia, don't feel like you have to solve everything. You might know the future, but you're just one girl. You can't fight, you don't have any powers. You can't fix everything." Lydia sat up, wringing her hands.

"Yes, but if I had told the ninja everything sooner, or- or let them kill Morro when they had the chance, or- or-"

"I know you couldn't let us kill him." Lloyd interrupted, reaching out and touching her leg. "And you couldn't have known he would escape. You couldn't have known that today would play out like it did, you couldn't have known- well, I'm rambling, but my point is that you _don't_ know this future, so you can't be expected to divert the problems created by your interference."

"But if I hadn't interfered-!"

"Then you wouldn't have kept Morro from possessing me. You tried to do what was best for everyone, peacefully capturing Morro before he could hurt anyone. It's really not your fault."

"But-"

"It's not your fault, Lydia." The brunette stopped, not looking particularly convinced but falling silent regardless. She hugged her knees to her chest, then said,

"Lloyd, do you want to hear how I know your future?" Lloyd blinked.

"Uh, of course."

"It's… not glamourous or special at all." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're a TV show." Lloyd blinked.

"What."

"You, all of you, are a kids' cartoon. About these ninjas in brightly-colored costumes who fight bad guys and save the day with friendship and teamwork." She flailed her hand around aimlessly. "It's my favorite show. I've watched Morro's season a dozen times."

"That's- what? How's that possible? That there's a show with our history?" Lloyd blinked. "Wait, how far into our future do you know?"

"Threeish seasons. So like three or four years. And just the significant stuff." Lydia sighed, leaning back against the table behind her. "Like I said, I'm not that special. I just happen to like a certain show. If it had been someone else, they would be totally lost."

"But you were clever enough to find us and warn us." Lloyd shrugged. "Even if it's just coincidence that you know our future, you used that knowledge to help us. And even if that just created more problems, I… think I would prefer these problems if they meant I got to meet you." Immediately, tears welled up in Lydia's eyes.

"Lloyd, that's so sweet." She whispered, choked up. Lloyd chuckled, running his uninjured hand through his hair and looking at the floor. When he looked back, Lydia was sniffling and rubbing her sleeve across her face. "Are you crying? I'm sorry." He apologized quickly, pushing himself up on one arm.

"No, it's- it's not your fault. I'm just stressed and- and stuff." She smiled, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. "I'm gonna… go get some food. I'm hungry." Shakily, she got to her feet. "I'll be back." She promised before limping away in the direction Morro had gone. Sighing, Lloyd lowered himself down on the ground again.

At this point, all he could do was wish Morro luck. He could barely understand Lydia as a fellow prisoner, who knows how it felt to be her captor? Shifting into a more comfortable position, Lloyd grabbed Lydia's abandoned pillow, pulling it under his head and finally managing to drop off to sleep.

* * *

 **I have to give the Lloydia fans some content don't I**

 **~FFF**

 **P.S. You may have noticed that I changed all the chapter names.**


	36. Going Home Is Overrated

**This story has officially broken 50,000 words**

 **Also shoutout to the one "neither" voter who apparently supports me and my current boyfriend. Cam thanks you.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Ebony: He's heard stranger.**

 **The Mayor of Ninjago City: Ayy, I didn't even know you read this!**

 **MarbleBird: Mood**

 **NinjagoMLP: He's heard stranger.**

 **Candaru: ...tbh I really want them to be friends but _how_ they _hate each other_ I'm sure I can work something out**

 **Jayden: My fics tend to be more dramatic than most things.**

 **KitKat: Tbh I don't think Lydia was expecting that. She unfortunately trusts him at this point. Poor fool.  
**

 **Spottedfrost: At this point, not much surprises him.**

* * *

"How does this stupid thing work?" Morro muttered, glaring at the Realm Crystal in his hand. It continued glowing softly. "That's just frustrating." He had hoped to start summoning the Preeminent as soon as they got back to Stiix, but the Realm Crystal just wouldn't work. Stupid thing. Lydia would probably know how to work it, but… she was asleep, and he didn't really want to wake her.

As the wind master mulled over the blue crystal, he felt someone brush past him, and he turned to see Lydia limping towards the front of the store. Apparently she wasn't asleep now.

"Lydia," He called to get her attention, and she stopped, turning halfway around but not meeting his eyes. Her eyes were puffy and red. Had she been crying…? "What's wrong?" He set the Realm Crystal down on a shelf, walking towards her.

"N-not really anything." She sniffled. "I'm just… emotional for some reason."

"Oh." He frowned a bit. "Well… come here." He put a hand on her shoulder, leading her over to the front of the shop and directing her into a chair. Once she was seated, he carefully removed a bottle of water from a cooler, a cloth wrapped around his hand to protect him from the condensation, before bringing it to her. "Stay there and rest your foot." He ordered sternly. She blushed, taking the water and nodding. Heading back to the cooler, Morro rummaged around inside it for a moment before locating a green apple and bringing it to her as well. She accepted it, but started to snicker. The ghost raised an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?"

"Green apple." She grinned, rubbing her sleeve across her face. "Never mind. It's an inside joke."

"Tell me." He sat down cross-legged on the floor next to her. She blushed again, but nodded.

"Okay, so… I wrote this story once, and in it, there's this one character that likes green apples. Another character befriends him by giving him a green apple. And so, one time, I tell my younger sister this story, and months later, that's the only detail she remembered: that yo- that the character likes green apples. And in the months that followed, two of my friends also wrote stories about the same character, and both feature some significant event with that character and green apples. Green apples always make me think about him." She smiled a bit. "I dunno. It's just funny to me."

"Hmm." He glanced at the apple, then back at her. "So you're not just an artist, you're an author too?"

"Oh, yeah." She visibly cheered up. "I love to write. Even more than drawing. Way better at it, too."

"Do you write for a living?"

"No. I don't make money off any of my hobbies, unfortunately. Except… babysitting is kinda a hobby?" She frowned, cupping her chin in her hand.

"Babysitting?" Morro echoed. "What the heck is that?"

"Watching people's kids for them. I really enjoy it, and I get paid."

"Huh. So you like kids, then?"

"I _love_ kids. Lucky for me I have seven younger siblings." She grinned at Morro's astonished look.

" _Seven?_ "

"Eight siblings total. Seven younger, one older."

"Do you miss them?" Her face fell a bit.

"Not as much as I probably should."

"They're that annoying, huh?" Lydia burst out laughing.

"How would you know? You don't even have siblings!" She paused. "Do you?"

"No." Morro smiled, shaking his head. "But some of the kids I trained with as a child had siblings, and they usually fought like cats and dogs."

"Ah. Well, my siblings and I usually get along better than that. But still, I don't really… miss them. Kinda worried about some of my friends, though. I wonder if they'll believe me when I go back and tell them where I've been." She mused.

"'Friends are family you choose'." Morro said. "Wu told me something like that once."

"Yeah, sounds familiar. And I completely agree." She stopped. "So, uh… you're just sitting and talking with me. Is there some reason for that?"

"You looked sad, I'm trying to cheer you up."

"Really?" She blinked. "Well, it's working."

"I'm glad." He flashed her a grin, and she blushed. "Well… there might be one other reason."

"Oh?"

"I can't get the Realm Crystal to work." He confessed. "But I didn't want to upset you by interrogating you or threatening you, so… has being nice earned me that piece of information?" Lydia blinked.

"So, wait, you… instead of threatening me or my friend's safety, you're trying to get information from me by… being nice?" Morro nodded. He couldn't tell if that was good or bad surprise on her face. "I feel like I should encourage that behavior." She stood up, and he followed her as she started limping back towards where he had left the Realm Crystal. "I can't promise anything. I've never handled it before. But I'll do my best." When she reached it, she took the crystal off the shelf it had been left on, weighing it in her hand and frowning a bit. "I think it's solar powered or something. Or maybe activated by sunlight."

"The sun should be coming up soon." Morro scooped her up, and she let out a yelp. "You really shouldn't be walking on that foot." He added with a smile. She stared at him.

"Are you flirting with me?"

"Why in the world would you think that?" Morro carried her out of the shop, where they could see the sky turning pink. Tightening his grip on her, the ghost carried himself and Lydia up to the roof of Ronin's shop, setting her down on the flat roof. She immediately latched onto his arm, eyes wide.

"A-are you sure this is safe? Ronin's shop is kinda falling apart…"

"I don't think either of us weighs enough for it to be dangerous." Morro settled down next to her, looking up at the fading stars. After a couple minutes, Lydia loosened her grip on his arm, leaning over and resting her head against his shoulder.

"I wonder if we could call Ronin's ship, or is it just him?" She remarked.

"What do you mean 'call'?"

"If you whistle three specific notes- that is, if Ronin does, his airship will turn on and come to him."

"Interesting. What are the notes?"

"They're like…" She tried to whistle, but it didn't come out right. "I can't whistle very well. Here." She hummed them for him instead. Morro whistled the notes, but nothing happened.

"How close do you have to be for them to work?" He asked.

"Not sure. Not that close. Maybe it's not even here." She said with a shrug.

"Oh well. We don't really need it anyway."

"No. But it would be cool." They were silent for a few minutes, and the sun peeked over the horizon. In Lydia's hand, the Realm Crystal glowed brighter as the sun's rays reflected off of it. Sitting up straight, Lydia pressed both her hands to the blue crystal, squeezing her eyes shut, and Morro startled as a swirling portal appeared in front of them.

"Yes!" The brunette exclaimed, scrambling to her feet.

"How did you do that?" Morro shot to his feet, putting a hand on her arm to steady her.

"I just, uhh… imagined a portal, or something. Time to see if this actually works!" Taking a step back, Lydia ran towards the portal and leapt into it. As Morro watched, stunned, the portal vanished, leaving him alone on the roof.

OhTheThingsWeCoulDo

Lydia tumbled out of the portal into freshly-fallen snow.

"Yikes." She said immediately, staking up. "Cold." It was dark, with the glow of sunset still in the sky. Night. As she looked around, her eyes adjusting to the darkness, one thing became immediately clear: she was home.

She was standing in a couple inches of snow, with the white flakes continuing to fall around her. The house stood about fifty feet away, light shining through the windows. She could see the crab-apple tree to her right, the silhouettes of buds appearing against the darkening sky. Early spring.

"I could go home." She muttered to herself. "I _am_ home. I could walk inside and forget about Ninjago. I have the Realm Crystal, after all. Morro can't curse Ninjago." She stopped. "That would be the stupidest thing I've ever done." She turned around and made another portal, disappearing inside, and the night fell silent once more.

* * *

 **Lydia: *flirts***

 **Morro: *flirts back***

 **Lydia: error 404 Lydia dot exe has stopped working**

 **~FFF**


	37. That Could Have Gone Way Better

**me: doesn't post for one (1) day**

 **me myself: you lazy heck get to work**

 **Review replies:**

 **Jayden: *finger guns***

 **Ebony: Canon is so screwed.**

 **Star: TBH**

 **Spottedfrost: Gosh I wish?**

 **Marble: mood**

 **Candaru: Okay I'm kinda surprised because I didn't really think that was an emotional chapter at all. Just. Lots of highkey flirting.**

 **NinjagoMLP: Or she could just... dump the bottle of water he gave her onto him. It would be easy to kill him. He would never see an attack coming.**

 **KitKat: He's... he's working on it**

 **RandomDragon: Yeah smh. Plus neither of my crushes would ever see me again and would probably turn on each other and both die.**

 **The Mayor of Ninjago City: That would do it :P**

* * *

"Oh _come on!_ " Morro snapped, staring at the empty air where Lydia had been. "Where are you going?" he muttered, though he knew she couldn't hear him. Was she trying to escape? Where had she gone? Three seconds later, the portal reappeared, and she stumbled through, falling over.

"Yep. It works." She reported, lying face-down on the wooden roof. Morro blew out a frustrated breath.

"Don't just run off like that. You scared me."

"You? Scared?" She lifted her head. "Why?"

"Oh, nevermind. Why do I let you handle magical artifacts anymore?" Morro rolled his eyes, grabbing her under her arms and hauling her upright.

"What? All I was doing was confirming that Earth is indeed one of the Sixteen Realms." The ghost blinked.

"Meaning…?"

"I went home. Then I came back."

"I see." Morro took the crystal from her. "We could get back inside. I need to set up the portal."

"Wait." Lydia grabbed his arm to keep her balance. "Why?" He frowned.

"You of all people should know the answer to that."

"Humor me. _Why_ do you want to curse every Realm? Do you really want every Realm to be like the Cursed Realm?"

"That's different. And stop trying to change my mind, it won't work."

"So you _don't_ want to curse everything?"

"Didn't say that."

"So what _do_ you want?"

"Lydia, I know you're trying to subtly convince me to abandon the Preeminent and become a good guy-"

"I didn't think it was that subtle."

"-but it won't work. I made an oath, Lydia. Nothing you can say will stop me from going through with this."

"Then I'll kill you. Because I can't let you do this." Morro opened his mouth to reply, but she kept going. "You know what it means that Earth is one of the Realms? It means that if the Preeminent takes over, she'll curse it as well. I refuse to let that happen." Morro frowned. He hadn't really thought about what would happen to Lydia after he won. Would the Preeminent curse her Realm as well?

"Are you even going to let me go home afterwards? If you win? Does it even matter? Earth has no defense against the Cursed Realm. Even if I try to warn them, I'll be branded as crazy and locked up. If the Preeminent takes Ninjago, that's it. Ninjago is, as far as I know, the last line of defense against _you_." She jabbed him in the chest with her finger.

"Do you have any idea of what will happen if you release the Preeminent? Even if you lose, thousands, if not _millions_ , will die. Every ghost, and thousands in the Cursed Realm's sister Realm, will die at their Realm's collapse. And if you win- well, I don't know what will happen, to be honest. I've never seen it. But I know that the Preeminent will rule _everything_ , and nothing good will come out of that." She stopped. "What do you plan to do with me, anyway? Lock me up? Let me be cursed?"

"No!" He exclaimed, finally managing to get a word in. "I haven't… haven't really thought about it."

"Do you think about any of this, or are you just following the Preeminent's commands blindly?"

"Lydia, you don't get it!" He snapped. "The Preeminent helped me! I owe it to her!"

"If I don't get it, then explain! Tell me!" She grabbed onto his arm with both hands. "I don't _actually_ know everything. You have to explain." Morro sighed, staring at the roof.

"Fine." He sat down on the wooden roof, and she sank down next to him. "When you die and become a ghost, your body doesn't regenerate. Not really. I got these scars," He touched the dark markings around his eyes, "From my fight with Garmadon, just before I died. He blinded me, burned my eyes." Lydia's eyes widened. "You wanted to know why I hate Garmadon so much?" He muttered. "That's why."

"Oh."

"My eyes healed after a few days, but until then, I was completely lost. I don't know anyone, or where I was, even. The Preeminent sent Bansha to help me. She looked out for me until my vision returned. When I could see again, the Preeminent not only gave me a position in her army, but she put me in charge. She took me in. I owe it to her. And besides, I swore an oath."

"Hypothetically, if you broke your oath, what would happen?"

"Eventually I would die, and I would probably be imprisoned for eternity for defying the Preeminent."

"So… you're loyal to her out of fear?"

"No! I made a promise!"

"You keep saying that! If you hadn't made a promise, would you leave the Preeminent?" He hesitated.

"…I don't know."

"Morro, you don't have to be afraid of her. The ninja could keep you safe."

"Why would the ninja protect me? They hate me!"

"You could make peace with them! That happens more than you'd think!"

"How? They'd just as soon kill me! And if I surrendered, I'd get locked up again!"

"You could give them back Lloyd! I'm pretty sure that would go pretty far towards peace between you!"

"Pretty far, maybe, but they'd never trust me around him!" Oh First Spinjitzu Master, why was he even considering this?

"I would vouch for you! They trust me, mostly." 'Mostly'. Less so after she ran off with him at the tomb, probably. "They would accept you eventually, I can promise that!"

"I believe you. But I _can't_ , Lydia. I just… I can't. I can't renounce everything I've worked for for the last forty years." Lydia pursed her lips, looking away.

"Fine." She said after a moment. "Let's just… go back inside." She started to stand, but Morro grabbed her arm, causing her to look back at him.

"Look, I'm not going to try to keep the Preeminent from taking Ninjago, alright? But I'll try to get her to be satisfied with it. I'll try to keep her from taking Earth." Lydia frowned a bit, but her eyes softened.

"I guess that's better than nothing. Thanks?" He didn't answer, standing up and pulling her with them. Walking to the edge of the roof, Morro wrapped an arm around her, stepping off the edge and carrying them down to the ground. Once they were both on solid ground – or, as solid as it got in Stiix, anyway – he let go of her, and the two went back inside in silence

…to find the guards gone, and the ninja gathered around Lloyd on the grounmd, all of them looking up the moment the two stepped through the doorway.

"Get him!" Kai yelled, and Morro immediately scooped up Lydia, shooting up through a hole in the ceiling and up to the second floor of Ronin's shop. As the ninja ran for the stairs, Morro set Lydia in a corner, ordering sternly,

" _Stay_." She nodded wordlessly, and he phased back through the floor. The ninja had apparently already gone upstairs after him, so Lloyd was left defenseless on the ground. As the rest of the ninja were nowhere in sight, Morro sprinted towards the boy on the ground. If he was going to win this, he needed a hostage. As he got close, though, the blond lifted his head and cried out, charging a ball of energy in his hand and hurling it at the wind master. Caught off guard by Lloyd's strength, Morro dodged too late and was thrown backwards, hitting the wall hard. That… hurt a surprising amount. He had never actually been _attacked_ by Lloyd before.

As he blinked the spots out of his eyes, he registered the ninja running back down the stairs – minus Cole. He must have stayed with Lydia.

"Surrender now," Nya yelled across the shop, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. "And we won't hurt you."

"Fat chance." Morro snapped, struggling to his feet and clutching the Realm Crystal tighter. Could he fight them all off? He had the Realm Crystal, but… they had a water master.

"I'm serious, Morro." Nya edged closer. "For Lydia's sake, I don't want to kill you, but I will if I have to."

"You can't beat me!" He snapped. "You can try, but you won't win!"

"Alright." Nya sighed. "If you insist on doing this the hard way. Get him!" Immediately, Kai hurled a fireball at him, which Morro sidestepped easily. Not that it would have hurt him anyway. Ignoring the beam that had caught fire, Morro dashed forward, blowing Nya's spray of water aside and phasing through them, then becoming solid and kicking the nindroid's feet out from under him so he crashed to the ground. Ice was, second to water, his biggest threat.

The blue ninja shot a lightning bolt at him, but it was attracted to some metal object on Ronin's shelves and missed him, giving him an opening to send them flying across the room. While switching their positions hadn't done much, it had done one very important thing: it left Lloyd vulnerable. And this time, Morro would not be caught off guard. Snatching a knife from a shelf, the ghost somersaulted towards the boy on the ground, coming out of it in a crouch and grabbing Lloyd by the collar, yanking him up and pressing the edge of the knife against his throat.

"Now _you_ surrender," Morro hissed. "And I won't have to hurt him." The ninja froze. In his grasp, Lloyd let out a quiet groan, then went limp, slumping back against him. Unconscious.

Before any of the ninja could say a word, a loud _crack_ echoed through the building, and all eyes turned to the support beam that Kai had lit aflame. Then it collapsed, and the rest of the building began to go with it. Dropping the knife, Morro wrapped both arms around Lloyd's chest, standing up and dragging him backwards as the building began to cave in on himself.

He heard the ninja yelling and saw a flash of light out of the corner of his eye, but paid it no heed until he heard a high-pitched scream. That didn't come from any of the ninja. That was _Lydia_. Clenching his teeth, Morro dragged Lloyd out of the building to safety, laying him down on the wooden bridge, then turned back to the building, just in time to see the last support give and the entire building collapse in a heap.

The yells had stopped. Now there was only silence.

* * *

 **I am waaaaaaay too tired to proofread this**

 **~FFF**


	38. The Heck is Going On Now

**You know, every time I talk to my mom about this fic she wants to know if I've killed myself off yet**

 **Review replies:**

 **Spottedfrost: I told my mom about this review and she thought it was hilarious**

 **The Mayor of Ninjago City: *french pea voice* Straight down!**

 **Ebony: No but I'm so glad someone overthought this because no one else got it**

 **Candaru: "LISTEN TO LYDIA AND LET THE NINJA ADOPT YOU" Yeah morro smh**

 **Kitkat: Yep, I can swim. Unfortunately it's hard to swim with a building on top of you.**

 **NinjagoMLP: Lloyd? Lloyd is fine. HE doesn't have a building on top of him.**

* * *

Lydia woke up to darkness and a pounding headache.

She tried to lift her head, but something was pressing down on her, over her entire body. She struggled, but it was too heavy for her to move. As she struggled, she became aware of a dull pain in her ankle. It was otherwise numb. That wasn't a good thing.

"What happened?" she mumbled aloud. "Where the heck…" Her voice was bouncing back to her very quickly. She must be in a tight… enclosed… space… Abruptly, she remembered what had happened – the ninja running upstairs after Morro, Cole staying with her to protect her, the fighting below her, then the building randomly collapsing. That was the last thing she remembered, so that meant she was… buried alive.

"Don't freak out. _Don't_ freak out. Don't even _think_ about freaking out." She said aloud, immediately, as she tried to hold down hysteria. "Freaking out won't help a thing. Stay calm. Someone will come for you." Unless they couldn't find her or they had all gotten killed when the building collapsed or they just didn't hecking care about her or-

"They're coming for you." She said, louder. "They won't leave you here. They're the good guys, the only one who would leave you down here is Kai, and he's warming up to you." She laughed nervously. "Oh, who am I kidding. I'm going to freak out." She hadn't been trapped like this since she was a little kid, and she doubted she would handle it any better now. She was already on the verge of tears, and screaming and kicking wouldn't even help in this situation, no one could hear her, and she would only hurt her already-injured leg worse. Unfortunately, rational thought did not keep her from succumbing to panic and bursting into tears three seconds later.

"HELP!" She screamed, wondering how tightly packed the wreckage was. Could anyone hear her? "HELP ME!" No reply. She started to sob, trying to keep herself from struggling. She'd only hurt herself more. "SOMEONE, H-HELP!" Silence. She could faintly hear the splashing of waves, far below her, but nothing else. Not for… maybe ten minutes. Then a hand grabbed hers, and a muffled voice called,

"Lydia!" Her eyes shot open, but she couldn't see her hand to see who was gabbing it. "Lydia! Can you hear me?"

"Y-yeah?" She stammered. "Wh-who-"

"It's Morro." He squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back. "I'm going to get you out, okay? Just give me a couple minutes." He let go of her hand, then he was gone. Eyes wide, Lydia waited in the darkness, trying to focus on something other than 'why isn't this over yet why isn't this over yet why isn't this over yet' on a loop. Finally, she heard voices, and the pressure on her lessened. As they got clearer, a new voice joined the mix – Cole. He had been next to her when the building collapsed, he must have been buried too.

Finally, the pressure lifted, and blinding light shone down on her. She squeezed her eyes shut as the ninja and Morro continued to free her, unable to focus on their conversation. Finally, cool hands took her by the arms and pulled her out of the hole, pulling her into a hug, and she hugged them back, burying her face in their shoulder and crying. It was Morro, she noted after a moment. No heartbeat.

After a few moments of being curled up in a ball while Morro hugged her, Lydia finally tuned in on the conversation happening behind her, which seemed to be the ninja fussing over Cole. He had apparently been buried just a couple feet above her. Had he heard her screaming? She hadn't heard a response, so… probably not.

Additionally, the ninja seemed to be leaving her and Morro alone. They must have teamed up to strive towards a common goal – getting her and Cole out of the wreckage. How the heck did that happen? Morro and the ninja's fight destabilized the building? She knew it wasn't safe. Wait… she didn't hear Lloyd. Where was he?

"W-where's Lloyd?" She whispered into Morro's shoulder. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine." The ghost replied quietly. "I dragged him out of the way before the building collapsed." Really? Morro didn't even like Lloyd. But she wasn't complaining. "Are you hurt?"

"Uhhh… something's wrong with my leg."

"Wrong? How?"

"Like… numb. But hurting."

"It might be broken. Your ankle looks twisted out of place." Lydia let out a shuddering sigh.

"Aw heck. I was just looking forward to being able to walk again." Morro chuckled a bit.

"It might be a while now." Lydia opened her eyes to stared through his transparent shoulder, noting the pile of wreckage they were sitting on.

"You're like stained glass." She mumbled into his shoulder. "You're solid, but I can still see though you." Morro didn't answer for a moment.

"That's… and interesting comparison, but… kinda sweet?"

"I'm high on adrenaline. Please don't take anything I say seriously." Morro chuckled, shifting to pull her closer. Lydia rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "Was anyone else hurt?" She mumbled. "What happened?"

"Kai… _accidently_ set fire to a support beam. Apparently it was rotted through, as it crumbled within the minute, and the rest of the building came with it."

"It _was_ an accident." Kai interjected loudly. "And I wouldn't have had to set the beam on fire if you had just surrendered like we told you to."

"You know I can't do that, _Kai_."

"Boys, cut it out." Nya interrupted. "We have an agreement, Kai, don't forget it." Her brother huffed.

"Fine."

"A-agreement?" Lydia lifted her head, twisting around to look at the ninja. The group knelt on the uneven pile of wreckage, Cole sitting up with his leg stretched out in front of him as he leaned on Zane's shoulder. His face was tense. "Cole! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He gave her a pained smile. "My knee just got hit pretty badly. I think it's just bruised, not broken. What about your ankle? It looks turned funny." Lydia's gaze slowly moved down to her ankle, then she immediately looked away. It _did_ look turned funny

"M-Morro says it's maybe broken. It feels numb. What agreement did you make?" She rephrased her earlier question?

"We agreed that if Morro helped get you and Cole out, we would leave him be for now." Nya exclaimed. "He can pass through the wreckage, we probably wouldn't have found you in time, if at all, without him." Lydia shuddered.

"Oh."

"You should let me look at that ankle." Zane spoke up. "I may be able to reset it." Lydia flinched. She'd never had a bone reset, but she'd read enough fanfiction to know that it was painful.

…aaaand that was one thing she was never saying out loud.

"Okay, but can we get to more solid ground first?" Zane nodded.

"Good idea." Morro put an arm under her knees and scooped her up, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he stood and began to pick his way down the side of the pile. The ninja followed, Cole being supported between Kai and Zane. Slowly, the group made their way down to where Lloyd was waiting, having pushed himself up against a post. He huddled up a bit as Morro approached, but his posture relaxed when he caught sight of Lydia.

"What happened?" He called once they were within earshot. "I pass out, and when I wake up… Ronin's shop fell down?"

"It was really weak already," Lydia called back. "And during Morro's fight with the ninja it was destabilized, and it collapsed. Cole and I got caught in it."

"Actually, the ninja were too." Morro added. "Zane froze the portion above them so they wouldn't be crushed." Lloyd frowned.

"Oh. But the last thing I remember is you holding a knife to my throat… inside. How did I get here?" Lydia's head whipped around to look at Morro, who ignored her.

"I dragged you out when the building began to collapse." The blond blinked.

"You… you did?"

"Yes."

"Why? You hate me."

"I'm honestly not sure. Protective instincts, I suppose."

"Hmm." The rest of the ninja made it to the bottom of the pile, and Zane passed Cole off to Jay, beckoning Morro over to a clear part of the bridge.

"Set her down gently." The nindroid instructed as Morro obeyed, and the ghost sat down with her, turning her around so she faced Zane. Leaning back against Morro, she stretched her injured leg out in front of her, and Zane sat down across from her so he could begin poking and prodding at her ankle. It hurt, but not enough to warrant a reaction. Instead, she turned to look at Cole, who was being lowered down next to Lloyd. As she watched, Lloyd leaned over and hugged him tight, and she felt a pang of guilt. It was her fault he hadn't seen his friends in so long.

Suddenly, sharp pain shot up her leg, and she let out a cry, jerking back to look at Zane. The nindroid gave her apologetic look, unwinding the bandage around her ankle.

"Your ankle is broken." He reported. "But not badly. If we can get you to a hospital, they can put a cast on it for you."

"Gross. I don't want to go to a hospital." Lydia made a face. "I'll just not walk on it until it heals."

"That's likely." Morro deadpanned.

"Why? What's that look for?" She twisted around to glare at him. He just rolled his eyes.

"Please hold still." Zane urged her. "I can make a crude splint. It will not be as good as a professional cast, though."

"I'm not going to a hospital." She turned back to Zane. "Do the best you can."

"Alright." The nindroid shook his head, but got to work. Using some fabric torn off her already-ripped pant leg, some pieces of wood from the wreckage, and the bandage Morro had gotten for her ankle, Zane managed to make her a surprisingly-sturdy splint.

"Do _not_ walk on it." He said sternly once it was secured. "Or you _will_ be going to the hospital, whether you like it or not."

"Okay." She nodded meekly, pulling her leg back a bit.

"Now we can discuss whether or not we're going to let you leave." Kai sounded aggressive, and Lydia twisted around to see him standing a couple feet behind them, arms crossed.

"I saved your friends' lives." Morro said quietly. "You owe me."

"He's right, Kai." Nya cut in. "Leave him alone."

"Really? We're just going to let him go, to summon the Preeminent and curse Ninjago?"

"I don't have the Realm Crystal." The ghost snapped. "I lost it in the collapse. If you want it, it's somewhere in there." He gestured to the pile of wreckage. "Just let me be." The ninja exchanged surprised looks, and Lydia looked at the wreckage in shock. The Realm Crystal was… gone?

"Well, I suppose we'll let you go for now. But you better not even think of taking Lydia or Lloyd with you." Lloyd's eyes widened, and he huddled closer to Cole.

"As far as Lloyd, I wouldn't dream of it." Morro assured them. "Lydia, however… I think she'll come with me voluntarily." Lydia blinked. Would she? She had kinda… assumed she'd stay with him a while longer. But she also expected to be 'rescued' eventually.

"She will not!" Kai protested. "Will you?"

"Uhh-" Lydia started, but Nya cut her off.

"Kai, come here." Her brother obeyed, and she whispered something in his ear. He frowned, but calmed a bit.

"Alright, fine. Go. Girls are so weird." He muttered under his breath. "But if we encounter you again on unfriendly terms, we will show no mercy."

"I'll keep that in mind." Putting arm under Lydia's knees again, Morro stood, carrying her away from them and summoning his dragon. Carefully, he set her in the saddle before climbing on in front of her, and she wrapped her arms around him as he took off. As they flew off, Lydia caught a glimpse of what looked like hurt on Lloyd's face. Sorry Lloyd. She still had a job to do.

* * *

 **So that kinda throws everything out of whack.**

 **~FFF**


	39. Why the Heck you Always Lyin'

**me: I should continue writing things relevant to the plot**

 **me (a) myself: write fluff**

 ***insert kermit and evil kermit meme here***

 **Review replies:**

 **Ebony: I mean, if Morro didn't have the Realm Crystal, the other ghosts were killed by the ninja on their way to get Lloyd, and the Allied Armor was probably destroyed in the collapse... there's no way for the other ghosts to come back to Ninjago. And we all know that *cough* really upset Lloyds tend to be, um... irrational.**

 **Spottedfrost: It's really really funny to me how you're betting on the outcome of my stories. Like. Are you reading them together or what? That's awesome.**

 **Candaru: It's hard, believe me. Maybe that's the reason I'm stressed... too much fanfiction. Also re: hospitals: Who would want to be in a hospital when they can hang out with Morro? Excluding Lloyd, of course.**

 **KitKat: And I'm claustrophobic, so... yeah. It was a cardboard box. I got into it to play a game and then my friends who had come over sat on it. I was in there for all of five seconds, but it haunts me to this day.**

 **RandomDragon: Who knows? Seriously. I don't know what's gonna happen next. I'm kinda just rolling with it.**

 **Please lower your expectations for this chapter.**

* * *

Honestly, Lloyd could understand why Lydia refused to go to a hospital.

The blond lay in a stiff, starched bed, his set and casted carm suspended a foot above the mattress. The room smelled of chemicals, and he was going to be stuck here for a week while he healed. If Lydia's reaction to having a sprained ankle – which, of course, was to keep walking on it regardless – was an indication, she would have taken to bedrest very, very badly. She would die of boredom before she got out.

After Lydia had left with Morro, the other ninja had taken him to where the Bounty was parked nearby via dragon, which had transported him to the Ninjago City Hospital he currently resided in. His father, he had been relieved to discover, was safe, and had been picked up by the ninja a few days before. At least he was safe. But Lydia… why had she gone with Morro? Did she really trust him? Was she still just trying to convert him to a good guy, or was there more to it than that?

The door opening startled Lloyd out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see Kai step through the doorway.

"Hey." The red ninja greeted him with a smile, crossing the room and sitting down at the foot of his bed. "How're you holding up?"

"Eh… pretty well." Lloyd shrugged a bit. "Bored out of my mind." Kai chuckled a bit.

"Are you in much pain?"

"No. I'm being pumped full of pain meds, I can barely feel a thing." He cracked a smile, and Kai grinned.

"That's good to hear. How you doing emotionally?" Lloyd's smile faded a bit.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… your crush just kinda ditched you in favor of the guy who broke your arm." Lloyd blinked.

"W-wait, you _know_ about that?"

"What, your crush on Lydia?" The blond nodded. "Yeah. Apparently, it was obvious to the others, they had to tell me." The spiky-haired ninja shrugged. "Have you told her?"

"Um… Morro did. It was obvious to him too."

"Oh. What was her reaction?"

"Well, she… she said she doesn't like me like that, but she does really want to be friends." He sighed, leaning back against the headboard. "I've kinda… given up hope. After all, my, um… competition is way better than me at this."

"What, Morro?" Kai balked. "He's _dead_. How can he be better at getting a girl than you?"

"He _kissed_ her, and they go on rides on his dragon together, and you saw her clinging to him when you guys rescued her. She really trusts him."

"She trusts you too, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, but…" He sighed. "I think… I think she kinda thinks of me as a kid."

"Why?"

"Well, I _am_ , like, twelve or something. And she knows that. I dunno, I just sorta feel like she has more maternal feelings for me than romantic ones." Kai sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Girls are so weird. What does she see in him?"

"Who knows?" Lloyd shrugged. "Like I said, I've honestly given up at this point. It's okay. I'll find someone else." Even as he said it, though, he felt a pang of regret. While his mind had given up on her, his heart had yet to do this same.

Kai stayed and talked with him a while longer, until visiting time ended and he was kicked out. As night fell, Lloyd stared out the window of his room, chin resting in the palm of his hand, and he found himself, once again, missing a girl who would never be his.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"Cave-sweet-cave." Lydia mumbled as Morro carried her into the cave network they had previously spent a week or so in, bringing her to the room in which he used to bunk with the other ghosts and laying her down against the wall.

"Right." He muttered, folding her arms in her lap. "Go to sleep. You've had a hard day." She mumbled something incoherent under her breath, then presumably went to sleep. Sighing, Morro pulled her bag off of his shoulder, unbuttoning the flap and peering inside. The soft light of the Realm Crystal shone out at him. Good. The ninja had apparently bought his lie that the artifact had been lost in the wreckage, which was the only reason they had let him leave. If they'd known he had it, it would have gone far worse.

"Hey, you-" A voice from the corner made him jump, and he turned to see Lydia sitting up, her eyes wide open. "You lied to me! Again!"

"'Again'?" He raised an eyebrow.

"You told me you moved Lloyd, but you didn't! And then you told me you lost the Realm Crystal, but you didn't!" She sounded hurt.

"Both times, those lies were directed at the ninja, not at you." He tried to reassure her. "You know they wouldn't have let me leave if they knew I had this." She frowned a bit.

"Yeah, probably not."

"Like I said. Why are you even still awake? You should be exhausted."

"I'm an insomniac." She flipped her hair. "Evil never sleeps, and neither do I."

"Should I take offense to that?"

"No. Plus, I'm cold. I can't sleep when I'm cold."

"Well… I'm not sure what I can do about that…" he trailed off as she beckoned him towards her. "What?"

"Come." She ordered. "Or I'll come over there."

"Don't even think about it." Eyeing her bandaged leg, he obeyed, stepping closer. She kept waving him closer until he was within reach, then she grabbed his hand and pulled him down next to her. Then, turning, she lay down half on his lap. He blinked.

"Lydia, I have more important things to do than be your pillow."

"Are you sure?" She challenged him, not lifting her head. "Are you absolutely sure you have more important things to do?"

"Pretty sure."

"Hmm. You're wrong." Morro sighed, resting a hand on her head.

"Well, since I'm clearly not going to get out of this, so… I guess I won't complain."

"Good. If I wake up and find you gone, I'm coming to find you, got it?"

"Lydia, please don't threaten me with your well-being. That's – what did you call it – immoral, manipulative, cruel?"

"Is not. It only works if you care about me. And it's _me_ I'm threatening, not a friend of yours."

"What if _you_ are a friend of mine?"

"Are you?" Lydia raised an eyebrow without opening her eyes.

"I don't know. Am I?" Morro put his other hand on her shoulder, rubbing it gently. The sooner she was asleep, the sooner he could go set up the portal.

"I don't know. Are you?" Was her reply, but her voice sounded a bit strained.

"I don't know. Am I?" He trailed his hand down her back.

"I don't know. Are you?" Her voice was even more noticeably strained.

"How long are we going to do this?"

"Probably forever. Let's just say for argument's sake you are." She paused, then her eyes shot open. "What happened to the other ghosts? Did the ninja kill them?" Morro frowned.

"I… guess so. But I can bring them back with the Realm Crystal."

"You'd better." Morro shook his head.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you liked them more than you like me."

"Don't worry. I only like one of them better than you."

"Let me take a wild guess and say it's… probably Bansha."

"You're good at guessing."

"If I may ask, though, why? Why is she so fascinating to you?" Lydia was silent for a few moments.

"She's _cool_." She said at last. "She has a staff-sword and she can talk in people's heads and can make an avalanche by screaming. And she's _pretty_. I wish I could see what her face looks like though." Morro blinked. Why compliment Bansha's appearance without even seeing what she looked like? At least she was finally starting to sound tired.

"And I'm not cool?" He did his best to sound offended. Instead of rolling her eyes and/or teasing him back, she frowned, looking thoughtful.

"You can do really amazing stuff, and you're arguably pretty smart," 'Arguably'? "But I don't think I've ever thought of you as 'cool', per se."

"Then why do you like me?"

"Because of things you haven't done yet, and… at this rate, probably never will." She looked dejected, and he frowned. This wasn't the way he wanted to conversation to head. He was trying to calm her down, not upset her.

"So I haven't done anything while you've known me to warrant you liking me?" He teased gently.

"You do have some good qualities, but it's hard to say how many of those are genuine and how many are you trying to manipulate me into reacting a certain way. Like, I'm pretty sure the reason you're rubbing my back right now is to try to get me to fall asleep so you can go off and do evil things." Morro stared.

"How."

"Do you wanna hear a secret?"

"Sure."

"I'm manipulative by nature. I notice things like that."

"Alright, guilty as charged. I'm trying to get you to sleep. But…" He kept rubbing her back. "It's not so I can sneak off. You said you're an insomniac, and you've had a bad day. I just want to help you get to sleep." Slowly, she turned her head to look at him.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Nice try. I'm a habitual liar too." She turned away again, closing her eyes. Morro blinked.

"You are one rotten kid." Which was kinda hot.

"Thanks."

"But seriously, you should go to sleep."

"I can _try_ , but it takes like half an hour and least for me to fall asleep. Usually more."

"Well… I can knock you out faster."

"That sounds fairly ominous."

"Not by hitting you really hard or something. If I possess you-" He kind of expected her to immediately cut him off, but she just glanced up at him. "I can force your brain to release melatonin, putting you to sleep faster."

"Uhhh… you won't mess with my head or look at my memories or anything?"

"Of course not." He crossed his fingers out of her line of view.

"You're lying." She said with certainty. He couldn't find a viable excuse before she spoke again. "Give me your hands." She rolled over so she was lying on her back, staring up at him, and he obeyed. " _Promise_ you won't mess with my head."

"I promise."

"Or look at my thoughts. Or memories." He sighed.

"I promise."

"Good. Okay you can." Pulling his hands out of her grip, he put them on her shoulders and possessed her. He felt panic spike through her, but just for a moment, as he quickly put her to sleep and left her body. She would probably kill him if he didn't.

"Sweet dreams." He murmured as she went limp on the ground, asleep. Standing up, he turned and walked away. He had a job to do, and he was going to complete it if it was the last thing he ever did.

* * *

 **me, writing this: ah yes, seems very natural, very realistic**

 **me, reading this the next day: what the heck this is so cheesy no one talks like this**

 **proofreading? ridiculous**

 **~FFF**


	40. Please Resolve your Romantic Issues

**just out of curiosity if I opened up a p.a.t.r.e.o.n (fanfiction doesn't like that word?) would people give me money? I mean, writing you guys fanfiction does take up about... most of my life**

 **Review replies:**

 **Ebony: Morro has uhhhh... issues. And Lydia needs to step up and kill him but she REALLY doesn't want to.**

 **Marblebird: I mean,, yeah. Kai was lucky with Skylor lol**

 **Candaru: In my defense, Lloyd fell in love with me first.**

 **Spottedfrost: Yeah mood? Reason to date Morro # 6346: no more tossing and turning for 3 hours before being able to sleep.**

 **KitKat: Lydia,,,, trusts too easily.**

 **RandomDragon: I'm sure he'll be fine.**

 **Star: Well that's good to hear :'D**

* * *

"Lydia." A nudge startled Lydia out of her sleep. "Lydia, wake up."

"Mmph." She flailed a hand in the direction of the voice. "Heck off."

"Come on, you…" A pause. "…dork. Wake up. I got you something." She couldn't decide if that sounded enticing or ominous. Rolling over on her back, Lydia squinted up at the owner of the voice, who was, unsurprisingly, Morro.

"What's that?" She mumbled.

"Sit up and see." Groaning, Lydia pushed herself up against the wall, squinting at the yellowish object Morro held in front of her. She stared at it for a few moments before saying,

"I can't see it. My eyes don't work." Morro sighed.

"I got you some crutches so you'll stop breaking your feet." She blinked. Oh yeah, that was kind of a crutches shape.

"Oh. Thanks." She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands, then looked again. Now she could see. "Wait, where have you been?" He looked away.

"I snuck off after you went to sleep to get you some crutches. Fortunately for me you sleep like a rock.

"Wow. Heck you." She didn't remember falling asleep, or even really being tired. She remembered talking with Morro, and then she just drew a blank.

"Yeah, you too. Here, let's see if you can use those." He helped her to her feet – ah, foot – and helped her figure out how to use them, enough that she could limp around without help.

"Sick." She remarked. "I can walk."

"Sort of." Morro agreed. "Don't fall down, got it? You'll hurt yourself worse."

"I'll work on that." Lydia leaned back against the wall. "What else have you been up to? I assume it's morning, since you wouldn't wake me up in the middle of the night after being so insistent that I go to sleep… would you?" She gave him a suspicious look, and he rolled his eyes.

"Of course not. It's probably about eight in the morning. And as for what else, I brought the other ghosts back."

"Oh. Good. Where are they?" Morro looked at the wall.

"Watching the portal." Lydia was pretty sure the reason he looked away was because if he met her gaze he would be killed instantly by the force of her glare. "Alright, you _knew_ I was going to do this." He said with a sigh, still not looking at her. "Why this reaction?"

"Knowing you're going to do it doesn't make it any less bad. If I tell you I'm going to violently stab you to death in your sleep with a fork, and then I violently stab you to death in your sleep with a fork, does it make it any better that I warned you beforehand?" Morro blinked, finally meeting her gaze.

"Okay, first of all, I'm pretty much stab-resistant-"

"Not the point."

"And I guess that makes sense, but I'm _not_ killing you, or anyone, and-"

"You are, indirectly."

"It's not the same."

"Very similar."

"Anyway, you knew this was going to happen, why are you so mad at me? It's not like I have a choice."

"Actually, if you didn't bring the other ghosts back, it would be just you, with no one to pressure you into doing the Preeminent's bidding. You could just… chill somewhere for a thousand years. You have the Realm Crystal. Explore Ninjago. Make some friends." Morro huffed.

"That wouldn't change the fact that I have an oath to fulfill. And, for your information, if I hold the Realm Crystal it allows the Preeminent to contact me telepathically. I couldn't 'chill' with her voice constantly in my head." Lydia clapped her hands together.

"HA! Kyrie was right!"

"What?"

"Nevermind. Can I go see the portal?" Morro blinked.

"What?"

"I'm gonna go see the portal." Pushing herself up on her crutches, Lydia began to hobble towards the hallway. Morro stared after her in stunned silence for a moment before hurrying after her.

"Wait. Lydia, stop!" She ignored him, hobbling down to the main meeting room and stopping short. A huge portal floated near the ceiling, and tens, maybe hundreds of ghosts were crowded in the room, some conversing quietly or milling around. A couple curious heads turned towards her, but she didn't have a chance to react as a hand grabbed her by the back of her shirt, Morro dragging her back out of their sight and pushing her up against a wall.

"Lydia, they will _kill you_." He hissed. "You know the sort of people who get thrown in the Cursed Realm? Maniacs. Murderers. They would kill you without remorse. Do you understand?" She blinked.

"Then tell them not to. You're the boss."

"That doesn't mean I can control them!" He groaned. "You know how Ghoultar's not right in the head? Some of them are like that. But less harmless." She opened her mouth to argue further, but sighed, giving up. He was probably right, after all. It was then that she realized that he was, effectively, pinning her to the wall. As she started to blush, he apparently came to the same realization, and he stepped back.

"Just… stay in the back, okay?" He said, looking away. "I don't want you hurt."

"Oh, come on." She crossed her arms. "I have to stay cooped up in here until- until what? You take over the world?"

"Until I get all these ghosts out of here. This is only a temporary base."

"Which will be… how long?"

"Until nightfall at most."

"So… hours."

"Better than days, isn't it?"

"I guess. Still want to see the portal."

"You _did_ see the portal."

"Only for a moment!" He pointed down the hall.

"Get in the back."

"Alright, fine. Geez." Balancing on her crutches, she started to hobble back down the hallway.

"I'm going to send Bansha to watch you." He called after her. "Because I don't trust you!"

"Thanks." She called back, rolling her eyes. She limped all the way back to 'Lloyd's room', which, she noticed, still had his cage in it. Carefully, she sat down on the floor by the wall, setting her crutches next to her and waiting. She didn't have to wait long, as only a couple minutes later, Bansha arrived, sitting down on the other side of the room without speaking to her. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Bansha spoke up, deadpan.

"Are you and Morro dating yet?"

"What?" Lydia turned to look at her, head tilted in confusion. "'Yet'?"

"Drat." Bansha looked away again. "I bet Soul Archer you two would be dating within a week. Judging by your reaction, I'm going to say probably not yet."

"What- what makes you think we're gonna date at all?"

"Well, you're in love with each other." Lydia blinked.

"Uhh-"

"Don't even try to deny it."

"I wasn't- um- Morro likes me like that?" Bansha turned to stare at her.

"You _are_ oblivious. He's been flirting with you for days, and you've been flirting back."

"I don't- I wasn't- I was teasing him! I thought he was teasing me!"

"You were wrong."

"I mean… I guessed that from what you said." Lydia sighed, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the wall. "Are you aware I already have a boyfriend? Is anyone?" Bansha gave her a funny look.

"Lloyd?"

"No. Back in my world. His name's Cam."

"Then act like it."

"I don't- it's hard to remember when there are two boys who want sot date me, I keep forgetting that I'm not single!" She groaned, pressing her hands against her face. "He might have, like… given me up for dead or something. It's been at least more than a month since I showed up here."

"Do you expect to go back?" The sorceress asked mildly.

"Uh… kinda? Probably? Maybe?"

"If not, don't worry about it. He'll never know." Lydia's mouth opened, then closed, then opened again.

"It's- it's still cheating!" She protested. "Even if he doesn't know!"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes! Yes it does!"

"Then-" Bansha stopped short, stiffening. Lydia blinked.

"What?"

"The Preeminent." The sorceress said in a hushed voice. "She has arrived."

* * *

 **At the same time, in the other room:**

 **Soul Archer, casually: so are you and Lydia dating yet**

 **Morro: wh-what? no.**

 **Soul Archer: CA-CHING**

 **~FFF**


	41. That's Not Good

**Okay I have a p.a.t.r.e.o.n now so if someone feels like giving me money (like $2) my page is called FirstFandomFangirl**

 **Review replies:**

 **Ebony: It's too laaaaaaaaate**

 **Candaru: You think THAT ONE was early? Check this out. Also at the beginning I never planned to have my self insert ACTUALLY fall in love with anyone, that was an accident that is mainly your fault.** ( ◕‿◕✿)

 **Spottedfrost: There are 6 other people rooting for Lydia x Morro so you're in luck lol**

 **AddisonWalker: Aww~! I'm glad you're enjoying it!**

 **KitKat: Yeah I actually googled 'maniac' so I could disprove that statement but as it turns out you're right not all maniacs are evil**

 **RandomDragon: Just wait until the Preeminent gets in on it.**

* * *

"Okay, but how can she fit in the cave?" Lydia asked, raising an eyebrow. Bansha didn't answer, standing up stiffly and walking away. "Rude." Well, since her babysitter was leaving, now seemed like a good time to sneak off and see what was going on. After giving the sorceress a few seconds' head start, Lydia picked herself up and hobbled after her. She followed Bansha out to the meeting room, where she was surprised to find all the ghosts and the portal gone. Instead, the ghosts were gathered in the exit hallway, all facing the outside.

As quietly as she could on crutches, Lydia limped up behind them, trying to see what was going on outside. Everything looked green through all the ghosts, who fortunately didn't seem to have noticed her, and she didn't dare try to push past them, so she just waited.

Just as she was about to leave, discouraged, all the ghosts knelt without any prompting, and it was then that she realized that the reason she only saw green wasn't because of all the ghosts- it was because the only thing to see was the Preeminent.

Lydia felt a chill as she stared into the Preeminent's eye(?). She was much, _much_ bigger than Lydia had imagined. She could see why Morro felt like he had to fulfill his oath, she was highkey terrifying.

There was a silhouette of a tiny figure against the neon green expanse, suspended in midair. Morro? There was no sound except the Preeminent's low pulsing, were they talking telepathically? Someone obviously cued the ghosts to kneel. She must not have been able to hear it because she wasn't a ghost.

…she was going to get in so much trouble if Morro caught her. Quickly, she left, hobbling back to Lloyd's room and huddling up in a corner. Not only was the Preeminent terrifying, but there were far more ghosts than she had guessed. Ninjago, honestly, didn't have a chance. They were lucky before, the Preeminent was summoned on an ocean city, giving them the opportunity they needed to kill her. But now… they had no such luck.

It was then that Lydia realized with a sinking feeling that she had failed. The Preeminent had arrived. Even if she somehow managed to take out Morro now, it wouldn't help anything. It was too late.

"Lydia?" Morro's voice echoed down the hallways, and she jumped. Had he seen her watching?

"Yeah?" She called back, and he appeared in the doorway a few seconds later. He looked upset.

"The Preeminent wants to see you." He said quietly. "Please, _please_ don't antagonize her."

"Wh- why? What does she want with me?" She was actually afraid. In all her studies, she could only guess what the Preeminent was really like.

"I don't know. I think she just wants to know what you're like." Morro hurried towards her, carefully pulling her to her feet. "Come on. We shouldn't keep her waiting." Morro obviously knew what she could do, he was acting _way_ more skittish than usual. He was afraid of her. What had the Preeminent done to him? He wouldn't be so scared of her if she had only ever helped him, would he?

Morro left a hand on her shoulder as she hobbled back towards the exit, the ghosts silently moving aside to let them pass when they arrived at the last corridor. Everyone was obviously watching her as she walked out to the ledge, and she had to try _really hard_ to keep from sticking her tongue out at them. It was tempting. Morro nudged her right before they stepped out onto the ledge, and mothed something that was probably something like 'don't make the Preeminent mad or you will literally die'. Fair enough. She nodded, and he lead her out the last few steps onto the ledge.

The Preeminent was overwhelmingly big, maybe… five times the size of her very big house. She looked like she was in no way affected by gravity, her tentacles hanging weightless in midair. And she was _ugly_. Giant, bulbous octopus thing with a giant eye/mouth/portal with a ring of spikes around the edge. Yikes.

Lydia and the Preeminent stared at each other for a few minutes, neither one making a sound except for the Preeminent's rhythmic pulsing. Was she just going to… stare at her? Better than some of the alternatives, she supposed. Was she supposed to do something? Beside her, Morro stiffened, then hissed,

"Kneel." She opened her mouth to rely 'heck no', but then changed her mind. Probably best not to anger the giant squid lady.

"How?" She hissed instead. "My foot!"

"Here, I'll help you." Wrapping an arm around her back, he lowered her down to the ground, helping her pull her broken foot back to rest on the ground, then he bowed his head. She didn't _like_ kneeling to the Preeminent, but whatever. It wasn't like she could get up anyway at this point. She looked back up at the Preeminent. Could she talk to her? She wasn't a ghost, maybe she could only talk to someone if they were linked to her.

A few more minutes passed. Was _anything_ going to happen?

 _"So you're the one Morro holds in such high regard."_ Lydia jumped as a deep, feminine voice spoke in her head. Scratch that. She could talk to her. Could she think back at her, or-? _"Yes. I can read your thoughts."_

"Crap." Lydia said aloud. Some of the things she'd been thinking weren't exactly flattering.

 _"No,"_ The Preeminent agreed. _"But I am used to that type of reaction. Most are more intense than yours."_

"Well, I knew what to expect." Beside her, Morro shifted. Could he hear the Preeminent?

 _"No. He cannot hear me."_ Oh. Okay. _"I suppose he's told you about me?"_

"Nope. Well, actually, a little bit. But a lot of stuff I already know. Can you not read my memories?"

 _"No. Only your current thoughts."_

"Well thank God for that. I don't want you poking around in my head." Morro's grip tightened around her.

"Lydia!" He hissed.

 _"If you prefer, I could curse and kill you."_ The Preeminent remarked. _"Then I could see your memories."_

"Is that a threat?"

" _Lydia!_ " Morro snapped, then a flicker of fear passed over his face, and his grip on her loosened as he turned back to the ground. What the heck did she do?

 _"I rather like you."_ The Preeminent sounded amused. _"But you're a poor influence on my general."_ She emphasized 'my'. _My_ general. _"He's been having some doubts about where his loyalties lie, which I believe you planted."_ He _did_ listen to her! _"For that reason, I will have to remove you for now."_

"Say what?" A tentacle appeared at the edge of the ledge, snaking around her waist and pulling her away from Morro and into midair. "Oh, really?" She deadpanned as Morro's head jerked up in alarm. "So what, I have to chill with you until you're finished conquering Ninjago?"

 _"Yes."_

"Hm. Exactly how annoying do I have to be for you to kill me?"

 _"You'll know when you get there."_ Ah. Okay. Useful. On the ledge, Morro stood up straight, staring at her with wide eyes. After a moment, he turned to the Preeminent. Apparently he talked to her too often to bother speaking aloud. Finally, he looked away, looking defeated. Yikes. Sorry, Morro.

 _"Don't worry. Morro blames himself, not you."_ The Preeminent noted.

"How the heck is that a 'don't worry'?" The Preeminent didn't answer, starting to turn away from the mountain instead. Unsurprisingly, since she was so big she was pretty slow. So the ninja would have a little time to prepare. Before the cave left her field of vision, she saw the ghosts start phasing through the ground, disappearing into the stone, except Morro, who summoned his dragon and began to fly away. "Where are we going?"

 _"Ninjago City."_ The Preeminent replied. _"We will march on the capitol immediately, and once it falls the rest of Ninjago will quickly follow."_

"Fun." Far below her, she could see the ghosts start to emerge from the base of the mountain, floating through the trees in the direction of Ninjago City with Morro flying slowly above them to lead the charge. Sighing, Lydia folded her arms on the tentacle wrapped around her, resting her chin on them and closing her eyes.

It was all up to the ninja now.

* * *

 **Soul Archer: You owe me $20**

 **Bansha: No. Bet's off.**

 **Soul Archer: Is not! Why would it be off?**

 **Bansha: It's only been 6 days, and the Preeminent separated them. We'll never know now.**

 **Soul Archer: ...I guess?**

 **Preeminent: _$30 and both your souls says he betrays me for her_**

 **Bansha: what**

 **Preeminent: _what_**

 **Soul Archer:**

 **Bansha:**

 **Preeminent** **:**

 **Soul Archer: You're on**

 **~FFF**


	42. Yikes, the Triquel

**Is me updating multiple times a day a sign that I might have too much free time**

 **Review replies:**

 **Ebony: Well, me, personally, almost had a panic attack trying to imagine how big the Preeminent is, so... there is that.**

 **Candaru: Apparently she's picked up on the ninja's trademark recklessness. What a shame. Also yAY I thought that was funny and I hoped you would enjoy it**

 **Star: They're just chilling.**

* * *

"GUYS!" Jay yelled, skidding onto the bridge and nearly hitting a wall, making the rest of the ninja look up in surprise from their board game. "GUYS, GUYS! WE HAVE A PROBLEM!"

"What's wrong?" Nya asked, pushing her chair back and standing.

"There's- there's a-" Jay gasped, bracing his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "Turn- turn on the TV!" Frowning, Nya obeyed, stepping over to the control desk of the Bounty and hitting a button. The NNN (Ninjago News Network) channel popped up on screen, with a live feed of an enormous… octopus monster thing approaching Ninjago City.

"Whoa!" Kai stood up so fast his chair fell over. "What the heck is that?"

"I think it might be the, um… squid monster? That Lydia warned us about?" Jay straightened up. "Anyway, I think we can confirm that _someone_ lied to us." He hurried over to the screen, standing on his tiptoes to point at a figure on a green and black dragon, tiny in comparison to the monster. Morro. "And that's not the worst part!" As if on cue, the camera shifted to reveal countless ghosts, a mass of green moving towards the city. "What can we do?" He demanded, panicked. "There's so many! And one of our ghost killers is- is in the hospital for another week!"

"I- we-" Cole stammered. "I-I don't know."

"We have to set up defenses in the city." Kai took charge. "Tell them how to kill ghosts. Organize fire brigades, get the citizens to safety. And we need to take Morro out and get the Realm Crystal, so when we kill them he can't bring them back."

"R-right." Cole stood. "Zane, contact the authorities and tell them to get the people to basements, tornado shelters, anywhere away from the fighting. Nya, set us a course for the west edge of the city – we'll meet them head on.

"I'm going to the hospital." Kai announced. "A lot of people there can't be moved. We have to hold that building. And besides, Morro might come after Lloyd."

"Good idea." Cole nodded.

"I'll go with him." Ray said, standing. "Maya, you'll have to be on the front lines with Nya."

"I know." His wife stood as well, and they shared a quick kiss before the fire masters headed out towards the deck. "Is there anywhere else in particular that we need to protect?"

"Not that I can think of." Nya shook her head, punching buttons on the dashboard. "We're going to have to attack them head-on. We can't wait for them to come to us, there are too many ways for them to get around us if we wait for them to get to the city."

"You're right." Maya nodded, stepping closer to the screen. "They probably have less than five miles to go to get to the city. Hurry, Nya."

"We're on our way." Nya hit a final button, then stepped back as the ship lurched forwards. "ETA ten minutes. We should be there in time."

"What's going on?" A voice caught Nya's attention, and she turned to see Sensei Garmadon standing in the doorway on the other side of the room.

"Morro lied to us." She informed him gravely. "He still has the Realm Crystal, and he's used it to summon his master and a huge army of ghosts. They're attacking the city." Garmadon's eyes widened.

"O-oh…"

"Sensei, you should go to the hospital to be with Lloyd." Cole told him. "He's going to be scared, and upset that he can't help. He's gonna need you." Slowly, the elderly man nodded.

"Alright. But, I… don't have any transportation. I never unlocked my dragon." He admitted.

"I'll take you." Wu appeared in the doorway behind him. "After all, I fear I will be of little use in this fight. I can at least try to stall Morro if he attacks the hospital, but otherwise I can do nothing."

"I can't even do that. I would just antagonize him further." Garmadon shook his head. "I'll stay with Lloyd."

"Go. I don't know how much time I can give you." Nya ordered, and the brothers headed out on deck, climbing onto Wu's dragon and flying away.

"Nya?" Jay spoke up shakily, looking at the screen. "Do you think we can win this? This is so… so much _bigger_ than anything we've faced before."

"We have to try, anyway." The water ninja glanced at her teammate to see him twisting his hands together nervously, staring at the screen. "I'm sure we can do this." She assured him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Ninja never quit, right?" She held out her hand for a fist bump, and he smiled a bit, knocking his fist against hers.

"Ninja never quit."

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"So what should I call you?" Lydia asked aloud, her chin resting in her hand as she watched the army of ghosts float slowly towards the city. "I'm pretty sure your 'name' per se is 'The Preeminent', but that sounds wrong grammar-wise when I'm talking to you directly, and just 'Preeminent' doesn't sound right either. What should I call you?"

 _"My subjects typically call me 'master'."_ The Preeminent replied in her head.

"Okay, but that doesn't even make sense. The female form of- you are female, right?"

 _"Yes."_

"The female form of 'master' is 'mistress', shouldn't you be called that?"

 _"Most of my subjects are too dull-witted to even realize 'master' has a female form."_

"Fair enough. I'm not calling you that, though. That feels really weird."

 _"What would you call me, then?"_

"Do you like Karen? Or Vanessa?

 _"I have no preference."_

"Alright, then, I'm calling you Karen. Second question: Where did you come from? Most Realms don't have a giant blob monster that rules/is linked to the Realm. Were you always there, or were you an unnatural addition?"

 _"I am the souls of several of the first ghosts, sorcerers, banished to the Cursed Realm. Our combined magic created me, a being with my mind and body, in an attempt to eventually escape."_

"That's… actually fascinating." Lydia rested her elbow on the tentacle, looking up at the Preeminent's giant eye. "So, were they like, destroyed when they created you? Or do one or all of them control you?"

 _"I am of my own unique mind. Their souls still exist within me, but they do not affect my actions."_

"Hmm. So, do you have emotions? A moral compass? Do you have your own unique soul, or are you just kinda powered by the other souls?"

 _"The closest thing to an emotion that I can experience is anger, though I feel amusement as well."_

"Well, that explains a lot."

 _"I'm sure it does. Now be quiet, we have almost arrived."_ Lydia blinked, and looked down to see Ninjago city in front of them, the enormous army of ghosts almost having reached it. The only thing that stood between them and the city was a tiny group of three figures, standing a couple hundred feet from the edges of the city. As she watched, two of the figures broke formation, charging towards the army, which increased its pace to match it.

As they were about to clash, water appeared out of nowhere, cutting a wide swath through the army. Nya! And… was that her mom? Sweet. The two were cutting through the army rapidly, and for a moment it looked like they might have a chance.

Then the ghosts reappeared from the Preeminent's portal, floating back to the ground and rejoining the fight.

Nya and Maya were obviously caught off guard, their attacks faltering and their approach slowing, then stopping, then being pushed back. Their overconfident approach had worn them out quickly, and they were getting swarmed by more ghosts than they could handle. Water sprung up around them, surrounding them in an attempt to keep the ghosts away, and the ghosts went around it instead.

Closer to the city, lightning flashed from the last figure, but it only stunned the ghosts, not killed them, and the ghosts soon passed that figure as well. Lydia stared with wide eyes as the ghosts swarmed into the city – the first lines of defense had fallen.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"Dad, what's happening?" Lloyd demanded, but his voice was shaking. "Why is the sky so dark? Dad!" Garmadon turned from the window to see his son trying to sit up, and hastened to stop him.

"The ghosts have gotten past Nya's group." He explained, a hand on his son's shoulder to keep him on the bed. "Something's gone wrong."

"What?" Lloyd tried again to sit up, but his father held him down. "I need to help! I'm the only other one who can kill ghosts!"

"You would be cut down in an instant! You can barely walk!" Garmadon protested. "Just _stay here_. We're going to keep you safe, I promise."

"But I need to help!"

"You cannot help, even if you tried! You would be killed, or worse, possessed and used against us!" Lloyd paled a bit at that, his struggles faltering.

"But- but-"

"There's nothing you can do." Garmadon cautiously let go of the blond, and this time he didn't move. On the other side of the room, the door opened, and Kai stepped halfway through.

"I have bad news." He called over to them. "Nya says that the monster's eye isn't an eye- it's a portal. Any ghost they kill just comes right back."

"What?!" Lloyd shot up so fast that his father couldn't stop him. "Then how- how can we-"

"We need to take out the monster. Nya and her Mom are trying, but they can't see to do any damage to it. Water only annoys it. And…" He hesitated. "Nya thinks it has Lydia."

" _What?_ " Lloyd demanded.

"Nya says there's a girl who looks like Lydia, from a distance, anyway, trapped in one of its' tentacles, hundreds of feet above the ground. She doesn't know what the monster wants with her, but it can't be good, so she's trying to rescue her." Lloyd relaxed a bit.

"Can she tell if she's okay?"

"I doubt it. Too far away." Lloyd opened his mouth to say something more, but a loud _BANG_ cut him off, and they all spun around to see the window wide open, the bang having come from it hitting the wall. A moment later, a figure flew through, landing in a crouch before straightening up and facing them.

Morro.

* * *

 **( ◕‿◕✿)**

 **~FFF**


	43. Yikes the quadrilogy?

**THREE? THREE SHARKS?**

 **im going for the record here guys this is the third today**

 **Review replies:**

 **Ebony: YES, $30 IS AT STAKE HERE**

 **Candaru: yes. girl talk. yeet**

 **Draconis: That's fine! I'm glad you're enjoying this! also ( ◕‿◕✿)**

 **KitKat: Maybe, maybe not.**

 **I started proofreading this and then I remembered I have 5 minutes left so y i ke s here you go**

* * *

"Kai, get Wu!" Lloyd's father yelled, running to his son's bed as Morro straightened up. "We'll hold him off. Go!" He sounded as the red ninja hesitated in the doorway. Kai only paused for a moment longer before obeying, running from the room.

"It'll be a lot easier for all of us if you don't fight." Morro said in a low voice, starting towards Lloyd's bed. Gritting his teeth, Lloyd lifted his uninjured hand, creating a ball of energy and expanding it until it surrounded him and his dad. A shield.

"Stay back." He growled, his voice strained from the exertion. Morro stopped.

"You're weak and injured." He said quietly. He didn't sound angry, or malicious, just… cold. "You can't hold me off forever. Come with me quietly, and I'll leave your father alone." Lloyd flinched. Morro knew his weak spots. Even though he hadn't been in his head.

"I can hold you back long enough." He bit back.

"Long enough for what?"

"For backup to arrive." Morro's head jerked towards the doorway at the voice, and Lloyd turned as well to see Sensei standing in the doorway, Kai a couple feet behind him. "Kai, go back downstairs." The elderly man ordered quietly, and the fire ninja nodded, disappearing down the hall again. "Morro, look at me." The elderly man said softly, and Morro deliberately looked away.

"Stay out of this, Sensei." He muttered.

"No." Wu stepped closer, and Morro tensed. "Morro, why are you doing this?"

"I have to." The ghost snapped, stepping away.

"Why?"

"I have to!" He repeated, backing away another step. "Don't try to stop me!"

"Morro, even a few days ago, you were not like this. What's happened?" Wu stepped closer again.

"You can't help. Don't try." Morro clenched his fists, wind whipping around him.

"Morro, please. We can help you." Sensei kept approaching him, but Lloyd was losing focus on his progress, all his energy focused on keeping his shield up. He heard Morro yell, and he jumped, his shield faltering.

"Lloyd, it's alright." His father touched his arm. "Wu's taking care of him. You can lower your shield." Lloyd let it go, then sucked in a breath when the flash of light caught Morro's attention.

"The- I can't defy The Preeminent!" The ghost snapped, ignoring him and turning back to Wu. "I don't have a choice! Leave me alone!"

"The Preeminent?"

"The- _her!_ " He gestured out the window to the giant blob monster. "I made a deal with her of my own accord, but I can't stop it now! She's too strong!" Sensei kept approaching him, and Morro kept backing up until he hit the wall. "Sensei, stay out of this! I don't want to hurt you!" He was acting way, _way_ different than he had before. He was scared, and he had the decency to try to warn them away, offering to leave them unharmed if they didn't fight back. The old Morro would have smirked and tossed everyone out the window without breaking a sweat. Well... figuratively. Ghosts probably couldn't sweat. Anyway, something had changed him. A lot.

"Morro, I can't let you do this." Wu kept approaching, reaching out to touch Morro's shoulder, and for a moment it looked like Morro might be calming down. Then, as Sensei's fingertips brushed his shoulder, Morro let out a yell, throwing his hands forward and sending his teacher flying across the room into the wall.

"I said stay BACK!" He snapped as Wu slumped to the ground, groaning. "I have a job to do, and I'm NOT going to fail! Not this time!" Turning back towards the bed, he started towards Lloyd, and the blond let out a cry of alarm. He was too weak to recreate his shield.

"Get back!" His father shouted, grabbing a jar of some liquid from a shelf and brandishing it threateningly. Morro ignored him, so he threw it, but the ghost just nudged it aside with a gust of wind and let it shatter on the ground.

"Don't interfere, and you won't be hurt." Morro warned him, and his father hesitated, stepping back.

"Dad, just- just go." Lloyd gasped. "We can't beat him."

"I can try." Garmadon's hands began to glow purple, and he raised them as if to attack, forcing Morro to back away. He'd almost forgotten his father was an elemental master. But could he beat Morro?

The ghost threw a gust of wind at him, but it had no effect, stopping when it hit his hands. Destruction. That was his element. He'd never seen his father use his powers before, though – he didn't know what he could do. Morro knew even less, though, so he was playing safe.

On the other side of the room, Sensei stumbled to his feet, collecting his hat from where it had fallen and looking over at the fight in alarm.

"Brother, get help! We have to protect Lloyd!" Garmadon yelled, lunging at Morro but missing as the ghost sidestepped. "My fighting skills are a bit rusty after a year in the Cursed Realm!" Silently, Wu nodded, casting a sad glance at Morro before fleeing the room. The moment he was gone, Morro grabbed a wooden chair, swinging it around and hurling it at Lloyd's father. The older man held out his hands to defend himself, and the chair disintegrated as it touched them, a few splinters flying off to the sides. Morro clenched his teeth.

"I was going to go easy on you, old man, but you've left me with very few options." He hissed.

"I don't suppose any of those would include leaving us be?" Lloyd's father bit back.

"Unfortunately for you, no." Stepping to the side, Morro reached out, and Lloyd's father was knocked forward by a particularly violent gust of wind, slammed into the wall. For good measure, Morro slammed him into the open door as well before letting him slump to the ground. Lloyd let out a choked gasp.

"Dad!" He wasn't moving. Was he okay? He wasn't bleeding, but that didn't mean very much after that beating… Having taken out Lloyd's last defense, the ghost now turned towards him, and Lloyd cowered back against the headboard. "Stay back!" he yelled as Morro approached him, his face hard.

"I'm sorry. But I don't have any choice." He stopped by the bed, reaching down to presumably pick him up, but Lloyd lashed out at him.

"Get BACK!"

"Look, I know _you'll_ understand this, so _listen_." Morro snapped. "The Preeminent has Lydia, and she's capable of _anything_ if I don't follow through with her orders." Lloyd blinked, his hysteria fading a bit. The Preeminent was… threatening Morro… with Lydia?

"I- I-" He groaned, letting his eyes fall shut for a moment. "What does- what does she want with me?"

"She wants you…" Morro hesitated. "She wants you out of her way." Lloyd's eyes shot open. There weren't many ways to interpret that, and none of them were good. But… if it would save Lydia…"

"Alright, I'll come with you." Lloyd pushed himself up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Immediately, a wave of dizziness hit him- there was a reason he was supposed to be staying in bed. As his vision wobbled, Morro wrapped an arm around his back and hauled him to his feet, and the blond let out a cry as his broken arm was jarred.

"Sorry." Morro muttered, not looking at him. Hugging his casted arm to his chest, Lloyd limped towards the window, the ghost supporting him so he didn't fall. When they reached the window, Morro lifted them both up onto the sill, and Lloyd immediately regretted glancing down. They were more than ten stories up. Morro started to step out into midair, then flinched, stopping. He glanced at Lloyd, then sighed.

"Sorry."

Then he pushed him off the sill.

* * *

 **yall, seeing this update, probably: thank goodness we get to see what happens next**

 **yall, after reading this, probably: heck you**

 **~FFF**


	44. You Didn't Resolve Your Romantic Issues

***inhales* hi guys**

 **sorry I vanished I got a job and it sucked all the inspiration from me for like? 4 days?**

 **also I hate this chapter lmao so I didn't proofread it**

 **Review replies:**

 **Candaru: there he go**

 **Spottedfrost: Wait what kind of art store can you buy a dummy at**

 **KitKat: Haha yeah... I had a burst of inspiration there.**

 **Draconis: Yeah, that was my favorite part of the chapter. Morro is honestly trying his best.**

 **Ebony: "well heck" is right**

 **WhyUDoDis: Because I CAN**

 **MarbleBird: I've had reviewers threaten me before lol, this is nothing new**

 **RobinLost: Mwahahaha**

 **RandomDragon: Cliffhangers are fun.**

* * *

Lloyd didn't scream as he fell, perhaps he was too weak. He did cry out, though, when Bansha caught him as she flew past, undoubtedly from his broken arm being manhandled. Morro let out a slow breath, glancing back into the hospital room for a moment before stepping out through the window and summoning his dragon, flying towards where a fire truck was keeping the ghosts at bay. He wasn't sure _why_ the Preeminent had ordered he pass Lloyd off to Bansha, but he wasn't going to argue. Perhaps she thought he would still betray her.

He hated thinking about it, because he knew she could hear, but he had come pretty close to betraying her. Sensei's promises to help him had pushed more buttons than it probably should have. But he refused to give in. He _knew_ the Preeminent, and he _knew_ that if he slipped up, even a little bit, she would kill Lydia.

Approaching the blockade, Morro swooped down from above, sending a gust of wind so powerful that it knocked the fire truck clean over, the men operating it flying into a wall. They were quickly overrun by the Preeminent's army, and Morro gained altitude again, surveying how the invasion was going from the air. He spotted Lloyd, draped over the back of Bansha's dragon as she flew towards the Preeminent. He looked like he was unconscious.

The hospital was being swarmed with ghosts as well, he could see flashes of green through the windows up to the thirtieth level. The army had almost gotten to the east edge of the city, having destroyed everything in their path. The city was theirs.

Now he could do get Lydia back

Morro scanned the city once more before flying back towards his master, who was still floating slowly towards the center of the city. As he got close, he saw a tentacle lift Lloyd's limp body from the back of Bansha's dragon. She lifted him up to her eye, then, to Morro's surprise, set him back on Bansha's dragon, apparently giving her a command as the sorceress nodded and flew away. With her audience finished, Morro flew closer, and he felt the Preeminent's attention turn to him.

 _"Master, we've taken the city."_ He 'called' to her.

 _"Very good."_ The Preeminent did sound pleased. Good sign. _"Then you may have your lover back."_ He looked up to see Lydia being lowered towards him, and she watched him with wide eyes until she was lowered onto his dragon in front of him and released. Immediately, he threw his arms around her, and she squeezed him back as he buried his face in her shoulder.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? I was so worried..." He asked, lifting his head.

"I'm fine. She didn't hurt me." She assured him. "What happened to Lloyd? Karen won't tell me." Morro pulled away, raising an eyebrow.

"...'Karen'?"

"The Preeminent let me give her a normal name since I refused to call her 'master'."

 _"You are not permitted to call me that."_ The Preeminent added dryly in his head.

"...right." He said aloud, replying to both of them. "I don't know." He admitted, turning back to Lydia. "He left with Bansha, didn't he? Next time I see her I'll ask her, okay?" Lydia looked slightly pacified, and he wrapped his arms around her again.

"Why are you so scared? She asked quietly. I know you were worried about me, but you were scared before that. What's going on?" Morro frowned deeply, glancing up at the Preeminent.

"Now's not the time or place to talk about that."

"Well, where then?"

"Not here." Reaching around her, Morro grabbed the reins of his dragon, turning and flying back towards the destruction in the city. Lydia rested her chin on his shoulder, staring down at the city.

"Where are all the people?" She asked after a minute. "This is the biggest city in Ninjago, but all I see is ghosts." Her eyes widened as something occurred to her. "Wait, you didn't-"

"We didn't turn them into ghosts." Morro assured her. "The city was empty when we found it. Perhaps they were evacuated."

"That would be a pretty fast evacuation. Uh-" Lydia sat up straight, eyes wide, and Morro stopped, turning to see what she was looking at. On the ground, far below, he could make out a group of figures dressed in bright colors, being lead away from the hospital in chains. "That's it, isn't it?" Lydia whispered. "Ninjago's lost. It's over." Morro nodded.

"Yes."

"Come _on!_ " She clenched her hands into fists, letting go of him to hug her arms to her chest. "How could I let this _happen?_ I was supposed to _help!_ I was trying to make things better! And I- I let Ninjago _lose!_ "

"It's not your fault." Morro tried, but it didn't work.

"Everyone keeps _telling me that_ , but it _is_ my fault! I changed things! If not for me, Ninjago would have won!"

"There are things you couldn't have anticipated."

"I _know_ , but-"

"Like me fading in and out of this timeline, or me finding the tomb by sheer luck." Lydia paused.

"But if I hadn't interfered-"

"Then Lloyd's father and I would be _dead_." He cut her off. "Which is better, a timeline where he and I survive and Ninjago loses, or one where the Preeminent loses and we die?" She paused.

"The obvious, non self-serving answer is the one where Ninjago wins." She said at last. "But I honestly can't decide."

"That's because you're a good person, who refuses to be satisfied with a half-good ending." She sighed.

"I think this is worse than half good. And it's 100% my fault, you can't convince me otherwise."

"Well then I can't-" He broke off as a voice spoke in his head – Bansha's.

 _"I was ordered to take Lloyd to Krypterium prison."_ She informed him. _"Take your girlfriend there."_

"Not my girlfriend." He muttered under his breath. Lydia blinked.

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Bansha just contacted me, she says Lloyd's in… 'Kypterium Prison'?"

"Ah, yeah. Giant prison in the desert." Lydia rubbed her arm across her face. "I should probably get behind you… so you can… see."

"Yeah. Hang on." He lifted her up off the dragon, maneuvering her around and setting her down again behind him. "How does your foot feel?"

"Eh. It hurts when I knock it against things, but otherwise not really." She wrapped her arms around his chest. "Do you have any idea where the desert is? Because I don't."

"To the South." Morro rested one hand on top of hers, steering with the other as he turned southwards. "I hope you're not going to try to break him out. It won't work."

"I'm not. I just want to make sure he's okay."

"I'm… pretty sure he;'s not okay."

"Let me rephrase that. I want to make sure he's not in an immediately dangerous situation."

"We should be able to manage that. Get ready for a long ride, it's half an hour to the sea of sand, and probably father to the prison."

"Okay." She rested her chin on his shoulder. They were both silent for about five minutes before she spoke up again. "So… Morro?"

"Yeah?"

"There's something we should probably talk about." She sounded serious, and a bit… resigned.

"Something bad?"

"Something… I don't know." She blew out a breath. "Bansha says we love each other and I don't know what to think about that." Morro blinked. How would she know? Then again, she could read minds.

"I'm not sure what to think about it either." He replied honestly. "But I'm not complaining."

"So you're not denying it?"

"Bansha's a literal mind reader, what would the point of that be?"

"…good point." They were both silent for a few minutes longer. "So… are we gonna do something about it, or are we just gonna consistently flirt with each other for the rest of our lives?"

"Honestly, I'm going to go with flirting." Morro replied. "'Cause, you know… I'm immortal. If, hypothetically, we ended up pursuing a relationship and got married, you would eventually grow old and die, while I'll stay this age forever. And I don't want to have to watch someone I love die." Lydia frowned.

"There's a very simple answer to this."

"Which is?"

"Make me immortal."

"How? Wait. No. You don't wanna be a ghost."

"How do you know?"

"No, I'm serious. It's no fun. At first you can't even tough things, and even after you get used to it you can't really feel, and you're always cold, plus everyone assumes you're some sort of homicidal maniac." Lydia laughed out loud. Apparently she wasn't taking him seriously. "And what about your family?" He continued. "And your boyfriend?" That shocked her into silence.

"Oh yeah… I guess Cam would be kinda pissed if I intentionally killed myself for the sole purpose of becoming undead so I could date his only competition for his favor." Morro blinked.

"I mean… technically Lloyd is too."

"No, I mean, he _knows_ about you, all y'all." She gestured vaguely about. "He knew about my crush on you. And hated you for it." Morro blinked.

"Odd."

"Kinda, yeah." She shrugged. "A rival's a rival."

"Are you going to tell him about what happened here?"

"Including the fact that two other boys were pursuing me? I dunno, I'll think about it." Morro rolled his eyes.

"Alright, so from that rather scattered conversation, I'm going to assume that we agree to be just friends. For now." Lydia nodded.

"That seems fair."

"Good. Then we can attend to more important matters now."

"Like what?"

"Like…" Morro raised an eyebrow. "Whether we're going to let Bansha or Soul Archer win their bet."

"Bansha." Lydia said immediately. "Wait, you mean the bet where they were betting on whether or not we would start dating?"

"That's the one."

"That would require pretending to date."

"Exactly."

"Heck you."

"I love you too."

* * *

 **Lydia: so in the past couple months I've managed to seriously mess up some people, got bansha and soul archer in a betting war against each other, broke lloyd's heart and his arm, and let the preeminent take over the world**  
 **Lydia:**  
 **Lydia:**  
 **Lydia: still better than season 8**

 **Oh look, I didn't leave you on a cliffhanger again. How considerate of me.**

 **~FFF**


	45. Let's Hang Out in an Abandoned Prison

**Yeet**

 **Review replies:**

 **Ebony: Ehhh I'd say things have calmed down for now. What happened to the ninja? Who knows. What's the Preeminent going to do next? Who knows. Is the fake dating going to be an important plot point or just for kicks? Heck if I know.**

 **Candaru: 10. 10 comments started with "oh". I counted. Also I have not proofread things lots of times before LOL Also! I didn't get a notification that you sent me a PM on tuesday, so... that doesn't really work communication-wise lol**

 **MarbleBird: I broke everyone at this point.**

 **Spottedfrost: Really? Well, I don't think the Preeminent would be fooled... no thoughts to read.**

 **KitKat: It's been broken since chapter... 3.**

 **Plumcide: I literally can't even force myself to watch season 8 LOL I dislike it so much just from hearing people talk about it and seeing screenshots.**

 **RandomDragon: "may" have caused ninjago to be cursed forever**

 **DraconisWinters: Hahaha.**

 **Guest: Okay for some reason it won't... send me the reviews, so I'm not seeing them until late LOL also I'm sure Lloyd will find someone. Just not Harumi. Also are there two of you? or?**

* * *

"Well _that_ doesn't look normal." Lydia remarked, leaning over the side of Morro's dragon to get a better look at Krypterium.

"Probably not." Morro agreed, noting the gates swung wide open and the prisoners either fleeing from the prison or fighting each other in the courtyard. "The Preeminent must have ordered them freed."

"Interesting move." Lydia mused, leaning forward to rest her cheek on his shoulder. "Where do you suppose Lloyd is?"

"In a cell, undoubtedly. Come on, let's head inside."

"Do you think the prisoners will bother us?" Lydia asked, frowning as he started to descend.

"I doubt it. And if they do, I can fight them off easily."

"Okay. Good." Lydia held onto him until they landed in the courtyard, where he dismounted and lifted her from the saddle before desummoning his dragon. The prisoners mostly ignored them, and those that acknowledged them only spared them a glance before going back to what they were doing.

"It's a huge prison." The brunette muttered, almost to herself, as Morro carried her into the building. "Lloyd could be anywhere. I'd say maybe in one of the higher-defense cells, but he's weak enough that they could probably put him… anywhere. So we've got a lot of ground to cover."

"We could ask them." Morro suggested, nodding towards a group of prisoners who were flinging tomatoes at a cell in an adjacent hallway. Lydia frowned.

"Man, I miss walking. Go go go go go go go go." He walked closer, and he had only just glimpsed a limp figure lying inside the cell when Lydia yelled, "HEY! Buzz off, ya rusty coathangers!" The men immediately looked up, spotted him, and decided now was an optimal time to make their exit, dropping their 'weapons' and fleeing the room. Morro stepped closer to the cell to see Lloyd curled up in the furthest corner, his blond hair stained red in some places with what was… hopefully tomato juice.

"Lloyd!" Lydia called, squirming a bit. "Are you okay? Can you hear me?" The blond groaned, but didn't answer. "I don't suppose you know how to open this?" She asked, turning back to Morro.

"It's…" Lloyd croaked, then coughed. "'s… electric. Power's out. J-just… push it."

"Alright, Lydia, I'm gonna set you down for a minute. _Don't_ step on your bad foot." Morro ordered sternly, and she nodded, so he carefully lowered her down to the ground. She clung to his arm, balancing on one foot, and he grabbed the door, shoving it as hard as he could. It creaked and shuddered, then finally slid open.

Immediately, Lydia let go of him, grabbing onto the bars of the door and trying to hop awkwardly into the cell. Morro sighed, then scooped her up, carrying her into the cell in two steps and setting her down next to Lloyd. Immediately, she leaned over him, touching his shoulder.

"Lloyd! What happened? You look hurt worse than when I last saw you…"

"Bansha… dropped me off." The blond mumbled. "Told the… the prisoners to lock me up. A lot of the… a lot of the prisoners don't like me. So they beat me up." Lydia's mouth dropped open.

"O-oh."

"At least I'm not… dead." He tiled his head a bit, opening his eyes to look at her. "Morro told me that… that the Preeminent wanted me out of the way. I thought she was gonna kill me." Lydia shuddered.

"Yeah. It looked like she was gonna kill you. I was there." She added at his quizzical look.

"I was… unconscious then, I think. I don't suppose… you're here to rescue me?"

"Morro says I'm not allowed to. I mean, I can't even walk, so it doesn't really matter. But if I could walk I'm not allowed to. Foot's still broken." Lloyd's gaze shifted to Morro, who looked away.

"Sorry for pushing you out a window, Lloyd." He muttered. "Preeminent's orders."

"That's okay." The blond murmured, his eyes falling shut as Lydia gave the ghost an incredulous look. "I know you did it to protect her."

"Why'd the Preeminent want Lloyd pushed out a window?" The brunette interjected.

"She ordered me to give him to Bansha. I don't think she… trusts me completely." Morro replied quietly, looking away again. Lydia stared at him for a few, long moments before turning back to Lloyd.

"So, I'm not allowed to break you out, but, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Mmm… stay?" Morro immediately bristled. "I think… the prisoners will leave me alone if someone intimidating is here." He opened his eyes a slit to glance at Morro.

"I think most of the prisoners are just… leaving." Lydia frowned. "I don't know what happened to the staff. I guess you're just going to be abandoned here."

"Well then, I'll… die anyway. I'll just starve to death in this cell."

"That doesn't sound right." Lydia huffed. "Well, I don't see any reason I can't stay. It's not like I have anywhere else to go. And neither does Morro, really." She gave him a sideways glance, and he sighed.

"For now, anyway, we can stay."

"Sick." Lydia wrapped her arms around Lloyd's good arm. "We should get you a pillow. Or a few pillows. You're injured, is your arm hurt any worse?"

"No, no, and… nothing more broken, I think." The blond let out a shuddering breath. "Arm hurts a lot, though. And I'm thirsty."

"Okay. Morro, come on, we're going on a scavenger hunt." Morro blinked.

"A what?"

"Scavenger hunt. Help me up." She let go of Lloyd, reaching her hands up, and he pulled her to her feet- foot. "We go around looking for a bunch of things. Have you never been a scavenger hunt?"

"Uhh… no."

"Me neither. Okay, Lloyd, we'll be back as soon as we can with water and pillows and stuff." The blond nodded a bit before closing his eyes and lowering his head down on his arm. Morro half-carried his – girlfriend? Prisoner? Who knew anymore – out of the cell, and shoved the door shut before picking Lydia up again.

"Where do we start?"

"That way." Lydia pointed down the hall, the opposite direction from which they had come, so Morro started walking. "I really miss being able to walk." She muttered. "It's the sort of thing you take for granted until you lose it. Like fingers." She immediately cracked up. Morro raised an eyebrow.

"What."

"It's- it's nothing. It's just something from one of my fics." She snickered.

"Alright, I actually want an explanation for that." Morro stopped walking. "I've heard you mention these 'fics' a few times, but you've yet to tell me what that means. What's a 'fic'?" Lydia stopped, her smile vanishing.

"Uhhh- fics are- um-" She stopped, apparently grasping for something to say. "They're- they're stories that I write."

"About?" He raised an eyebrow, and she blushed.

"Um- things. And- people. And events. About a lot of things."

"Is that it?" Lydia nodded. "Then why are you so flustered by me asking about them?" She swatted at him, and he jerked his head back to avoid it. "Exactly like that."

"Aw heck off." She crossed her arms, looking away. "I'm just embarrassed. They're… silly."

"Alright, alright, then I'll stop. All you have to do is ask." He patted her head, and she blushed.

"Fine." The ghost started walking again, and they continued down the next few halls in silence.

Eventually, they came across the cafeteria, which appeared to have been abandoned in a hurry, as food was still on the tables – and, in some cases, the floor. Lydia immediately wrinkled up her face.

"Gross. Smells terrible in here."

"Good thing my sense of smell is dulled." Morro remarked, heading towards the serving area. "The kitchen's probably beyond there, that's where we'll find food and water for Lloyd."

"Cool. We have to walk past all the stinky food." Lydia pressed a hand over her nose as they passed through the serving area, then cautiously lifted it as he stepped into the kitchen. "Hmm. Doesn't smell so bad in here."

"Good. Hopefully that means something in here is edible." The kitchen was pretty big, it would take him a while to search, especially with Lydia, so he set her down on a clean-looking countertop. "Stay." He ordered. "I can search much faster if I'm not carrying you. No offense."

"Okay." Lydia leaned back on her hands, watching as he poked around the room. "Wait, are those- actual ingredients?" She called over as he browsed through a cupboard. He shrugged, turning back towards her.

"I don't know. Cooking was never my strong suit."

"You can read, right? Wait, can you read?" Morro rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I can read."

"What do the labels say?"

"Um…" He turned back to the cupboard. "Sugar, baking powder, salt, flour…"

"It _is_ ingredients!" Lydia pumped her fists in the air. "I could _cook_ something!"

"No, you can't. You can't walk." Morro pointed out.

"Can too. I don't need to walk to cook. There's enough counters that I can just hold into them and hop around on one foot." She slid off the counter, landing on her left foot and turning around to grab her handhold. Morro sighed.

"Lydia."

"Come on, Morro, let me have this. I haven't been able to do anything fun in weeks." She kept making her way down the counter towards him.

"Alright, fine." The ghost gave in. "But let me help you at least."

"Well, that's a given. I probably can't even reach half the stuff I need." She stopped next to a pile of loaves of bread, and poked one. "Hmph. All stale. Heyyyy, I know a good use for stale bread!"

"You're going to get yourself hurt." Morro muttered, but she ignored him.

"I need eggs. Half a dozen. And milk. And see if you can find some vanilla and cinnamon. And a mixing bowl and whisk!" Morro rolled his eyes, but obeyed, walking off to hunt down the items. She was right, he _had_ kept her locked up for the past… week? She probably deserved this. So who was he to complain?

* * *

 **Okay so this. literally. went on for 4 more pages on paper and I was still writing so finally I decided "heck it, this is never gonna end" and just cut it off. But about a thousand more words of them being a couple of fluffy domestic hecks exists if someone (*cough* candaru) wants to see it sometime lul**

 **~FFF**


	46. Hopefully This is Bonding

**hahahaha april fools here's the real chapter if you wanted to read it with any measure of seriousness**

 **Review replies:**

 **Random Dragon: I love how you just completely ignored the joke**

 **Spottedfrost: Of course it's a joke.**

 **Tex: Don't worry, I always fix it the day after.**

 **KaiIsAwesome: I'm gwad you agwee! :D**

 **KitKat: *CLANG***

 **Ebony: "womance"**

 **DraconisWinters: Same to you! :D**

 **Candaru: She doesn't ask because she _knows_**

 **INeedALife: Ahahaha that's beautiful**

* * *

"Hey blondie, wake up." Lloyd groaned at the voice, then winced at the squeal of the door being yanked open, the loud grating sound jarring him from his half-asleep daze. The blond opened one eye a slit, glancing up to see Morro stepping through the doorway and into his cell. Alone.

"Wh- where's Lydia?" He croaked, so quiet for a moment he was afraid Morro hadn't heard him.

"Still in the kitchen." The ghost replied with a dry chuckle, stepping closer and sitting down cross-legged in front of him. "She had her heart set on cooking something, so that's what she's doing. I thought she would be a while, so I brought you this." He held out a plastic water bottle. Lloyd frowned, opening both eyes a bit wider as he struggled to sit up.

He only got about halfway up, however, before he was forced to slump back down, his body screaming with pain. He had already been weak and injured when he suffered that beating, now he could barely move from the pain. He _really_ hoped Morro wouldn't hurt him worse.

The blond tried once more to rise into a sitting position before Morro sighed, set down the bottle and helped him. He was surprisingly gently as he pulled him upright and leaned him back into the corner, then unscrewed the cap of the bottle and pressed it into his hand. Wrapping both hands around the clear plastic, Lloyd shakily lifted it to his mouth, managing to take a couple swallows before being forced to stop from the burning in his sore throat.

"Thank… you." He managed, lowering the bottle into his lap again.

"Hmm." Morro didn't respond, looking away. There was silence for a few moments before Lloyd asked,

"How are… you and Lydia doing?" The ghost looked back at him, raising an eyebrow at the question.

"We're… as fine as we can be while effectively trapped in an abandoned prison as-" he broke off, looking away. "We're fine." Lloyd frowned, but continued.

"No, I meant… how is your relationship coming along?" Morro blinked, looking back at him in surprise.

"Uh…"

"Please don't try to deny it. It's obvious in the way you look at each other." Morro blushed and resumed his staring at the wall.

"It's… progressing… slowly." He finally answered. "We're fully aware of our feelings for each other, but we've agreed not to do anything about them, because of… practical reasons."

"Such as?"

"The fact that I don't age and she does is a fairly influential one."

"Hmm." Lloyd pondered this for a few moments, and was about to respond when Morro hesitantly spoke up.

"Why do you… care? Don't you want her for yourself?"

"Well… yeah. But I'm not going to try and interfere. If she likes you better, there's nothing I can do about it."

"But she and I _can't_ be together." Morro protested.

"You can, she'll just… die significantly sooner than you will."

"Which neither of us wants to happen."

"And maybe you can't be together. But that won't make her like me any better. At the end of the day, she just… doesn't like me like that. Nothing I can do about it." Morro looked away, looking defeated. "Morro, why do you want her with me, anyway? I'm your… enemy, aren't I?" The ghost clenched his teeth, looking awaym and not speaking for a few, long moments.

"I love her." He said at last, his voice barely above a whisper. "I really, really love her. But I can't be with her, ever, there are too many things that get in the way. And she's loyal, if she… if she loves me, she'll stay with me, even if we can't be 'together'. But I want… I want her to make someone happy." Lloyd was quiet for a while, stunned. Morro wasn't usually this selfless.

"That's… really strange coming from you, after some of the things I've seen you do." He said at last. Morro smirked just a bit.

"That's… you're right. I wouldn't blame you if you don't believe me."

"No, I believe you." Lloyd assured him hurriedly. "I'm just surprised."

"Mmm." Morro paused, then his eyes widened in alarm and he shot to his feet. "I should… go back to her. I promised to be back soon, and I'm not… _sure_ this prison is abandoned." Lloyd immediately understood what was going through his head.  
"Then go, go." The blond urged him, his grip tightening slightly on the water bottle. Morro didn't need prodding, quickly leaving the cell and pulling the door shut behind him. "Thank you for the water." Lloyd called after him. "And for being honest with me." Morro hesitated, then nodded and hurried off down the corridor.

Sighing, Lloyd leaned back in the corner, slowly, carefully setting the open water bottle next to him. He didn't trust himself to reach over and get the cap. The blond closed his eyes, leaning his head back, and finally managed to attain something like sleep.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

Morro knew something was wrong before he got to the kitchen.

For one, it was altogether too quiet. Normally, Lydia talked to herself when she was alone – or thought she was – and even without that he should hear the sound of frying. Instead, there was nothing. As he entered the kitchen, his anxiety heightened when he registered that Lydia was gone.

"Lydia!" He yelled, turning on his heel to go search for her. Before he made it two steps, however, an answering voice called from the far side of the room.

"Morro?" He turned back around, scanning the room for her, but saw nothing.

"It's me. Where are you?" He called back.

"On the floor in the corner. I fell down and I can't get up. Did you know this prison is not 100% abandoned?"

"What happened?" He started towards her voice.

"Couple guys came in here, saw me. I threatened them. They didn't take me seriously." Morro stopped at the sight of two bodies lying on the ground in front of the stove, both looking very knocked out. About 20 feet away was Lydia, pressed up against the far wall with her knees pulled up to her chest and the handle of the frying pan clutched in both her hands. "Frying pan, good and OP weapon. _Hot_ frying pan, even more op." She remarked. Dodging the motionless figures on the ground, Morro rushed to her side, kneeling next to her on the ground.

"Are you alright? Tell me exactly what happened, he fussed, taking the pan from her and setting it on the countertop. "Did they attack you?"

"No. I mean, they tried. They ran at me so I hit them with a frying pan. But it's hard to stand on one foot and fight at the same time so I fell over. I knocked them out but I hid in case there were more around." Morro let out a slow breath.

"So you're not hurt at all?"

"Nope." Morro took her by the arms and pulled her to her feet, then wrapped his arms around her tight.

"I'm sorry I left."

"No, it's fine." Lydia protested, muffled by his shoulder. "You couldn't have known they were coming."

"Still. I left you in the biggest prison for _the_ most dangerous convicts in Ninjago."

"When you thought it was empty."

"Still."

"Well, like I said, nothing bad happened anyway. I'm fine." Sighing, Morro let go of her.

"Still, I'm not leaving you alone again."

"Good. There's a limit to how many bad guys even _I_ can take out." The ghost rolled his eyes.

"Are you finished cooking?" Lydia glanced over at the stove, next to which was a plate with a stack of French Toast on it.

"I'd say yeah, I'm about done."

"Good. Let's get back to Lloyd."

"Oh, right. How is he doing?" Morro coughed.

"Well enough to badger me about my relationship status." Lydia blinked, but shrugged and didn't comment.

"Okay then. We need to find some forks."

"There are probably some in the cafeteria." Morro picked her up, heading back towards the exit and grabbing the plate of food as he passed it. Sure enough, next to the vats of rotting food were some stacks of forks, which Morro took… from a distance. Having acquired everything they needed, the two started back towards Lloyd's cell.

As Morro turned into the hallway Lloyd resided in, an unexpected voice in his head made him gasp and stumble.

 _"Come to Ninjago City immediately. I have need of you."_ Lydia looked up at him in concern.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, the…" He trailed off. Was he just supposed to leave Lydia and Lloyd here undefended?

"What?" Lydia prodded.

"The Preeminent wants me in New Ninjago City." He muttered. "And I can't bring both you and Lloyd with me." Lydia frowned.

"Well, just leave me with him."

"You think it's safe for you there?"

"No. Maybe. Ish. You don't really have a choice."

"But I can't-" She cut him off.

"You have to. Otherwise there's no telling what the Preeminent will do to any or all of us." Morro sighed, shaking his head.

"I guess. But what am I supposed to do with you two? You don't even have a weapon this time."

"Then get me one."

"But I'm supposed to be there "immediately"."

"Then you better get moving! Go go go!" She urged him, and he started down the hall again, shoving the door to Lloyd's cell open and setting her down inside. Lloyd didn't move, apparently asleep. "There's no time to get me something. If someone bothers us I'll just hit them with the plate. Also forks make good substitute weapons. Now shoo. Go talk to Karen." Morro _almost_ laughed at that, but he was too worried.

"Alright, alright. But _please_ just stay quiet. Don't attract attention if you can help it."

"I'll try." Lydia nodded, scooting back towards Lloyd. "Just go do whatever for the Preeminent and hurry back. We'll most likely be here. That's not comforting, is it?" Morro chuckled a bit.

"Not really."

"Okay. Just go. Shoo. Go." Sighing, he stepped back out of the cell shoving the door shut again. He started down the hall towards the exit, but paused to look back at her for a moment. She gave him a thumbs-up, and he gave her a small smile in return before finally leaving.

He saw no one as he headed out into the courtyard and summoned his dragon, even the men who had been fighting in the courtyard were gone. He could only hope that meant they had left, and weren't in the prison… with Lydia and Lloyd. Shaking his head, he climbed onto his dragon's back, taking off towards Ninjago City at breakneck speeds. The sooner he got there, the sooner he could come back.

* * *

 **Deleted scene:**

 **Lydia: Wait, did we turn the stove off?**

 **Morro: Uhhh-**

 ***distant explosion***

 **Lydia:**

 **Morro:**

 **Lydia: that's probably not a problem**

 ***they keep walking**

 **~FFF**


	47. Some Assorted Betrayal

**Oh look, I actually managed to get one out today. Also I think notifications broke on the last chapter lol considering I only got 2 reviews**

 **Review replies:**

 **SpottedFrost: Yep, yep, fun times.**

 **MarbleBird: I replaced all 'L's and 'R's with 'W'. So everything was in Hewwo speech. I could pm it to you if you want xD**

* * *

 _"Ninjago has been conquered. I now require a portal to the next Realm – Earth."_ Morro stared at the Preeminent, stunned. After a few moments, he realized she was expecting an answer, and stammered,

"Uh- why? We're out of the Cursed Realm, isn't- isn't that enough?"

 _"No. The more souls I acquired, the stronger I become. Surely you can sympathize with a quest for power, Morro."_ Maybe before, but now, because of Lydia- he shook his head rapidly. Don't think about her.

"I… of course."

 _"So go. Retrieve the Crystal from your cave hideout, and make me a portal to Earth."_

"I…" Morro hesitated. He promised Lydia he wouldn't.

 _"Morro."_ The Preeminent's tone was almost soothing. _"There's something I'm not sure you realize."_

"Wh- what?"

 _"Unlike with a human, I can see more than just your surface thoughts. I can see your memories, your desires, your emotions, everything."_ Morro swallowed. He _knew_ that, he just… hadn't been thinking about it. _"I know your plans to betray me."_

"What?" He fairly yelped, and a moment later he was roughly yanked out of his dragon's saddle by a tentacle snaking around his waist. "I- I wasn't! I swear!" He protested as she pulled him closer. It was true, he had no plans to betray her. He had considered it, but he had never made his choice.

 _"Shut up. You and I both know what your decision would be."_ The tentacle tightened around him, and he gasped as the air was forced out of his lungs. _"I have no need for a disloyal subject. You will be locked up in the Cursed Realm and left to rot."_

"No!" he tried to yell, but it came out more like a squeak due to his lack of air. What would happen to Lydia?

 _"Oh, that's adorable. You're more concerned for her than yourself. Oh, and… interesting. You care for the blond brat as well."_ He did? That was a question for later. He had to get away. _"Oh, you won't be getting away. Come on now, Morro. You are the strongest of my subjects, but even you aren't nearly as strong as me."_ She squeezed him tighter, and he bit his tongue to keep from crying out. _"Oh, and don't worry about your girlfriend. I'm rather fond of her. I'll see to it that she's well taken care of."_ Was she… serious? Well... at least there was that.

Abruptly, the tentacle hurled him towards the ground, and he tried to catch himself but his wind was too weak to do more than cushion his fall. He hit the ground _hard,_ and he heard the Preeminent's voice in his head but couldn't make out the words. He felt hands grab his arms and start to drag him away, and only caught one last thing before he passed out.

 _"Kill him."_

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"I don't like it." Lydia muttered, sitting in the corner with her knees pulled up to her chest. "He's been gone at least a day. What happened to him?"

"We have no idea what she wanted him for." Lloyd pointed out. "I'm sure he's fine."

"I'm not. But I hope so." Lydia had gotten progressively more stressed the longer Morro had been gone, for her and Lloyd's sake as well as his. Lloyd was getting stronger, as she'd managed to get some food in him, but it was unlikely that he could defend them if they were attacked. Until Morro came back, they were vulnerable.

"You." Lydia's head jerked up at the sound of the voice, looking out through the door to see three ghosts standing outside in the hall. She hadn't heard them approach. "The Preeminent wants you."

"Wh- me?" She gestured to herself, and the ghost nodded. "Why?"

"It is not our place to question our master's orders."

"Of course it isn't. Can Lloyd come?" The ghosts exchanged glances.

"…no." One said at last. "She only wants you."

"Well, then tell Karen she'll have to wait, I'm not leaving Lloyd here alone."

"You don't have a choice." The ghost told her in a cold voice. "We'll drag you if we have to. The Preeminent must be obeyed."

"I'll kill you." Lydia threatened, grabbing the half-empty water bottle and pushing herself unsteadily to her feet. She put a tiny bit of weight on her broken foot, and hissed in pain. Bad idea. The ghosts looked unimpressed.

"All you will have done is bought yourself some time. We will return, and next time you will have no more weapons." Lydia clenched her teeth. Smart ghosts. They were, unfortunately, right.

"Just go, Lydia, I'll be fine." Lloyd urged her. "Besides, I don't really want to go meet, uh… Karen." Lydia smirked a bit. "And this prison is abandoned. Mostly. I'm sure I'll be fine."

"'Mostly' is what I'm worried about." The brunette muttered. "Alright fine, I'll go with you. But you'll have to help me. I can't walk." The ghosts exchanged glances, then wrestled the door open and stepped inside to help her, two of them positioning themselves on either side of her to act as her crutches. They half-carried her out of the cell, then shut the door, and she only managed one more glance at Lloyd before she was carried away.

The ghosts lead her out into the courtyard, where she found, to her surprise, Bansha, waiting with the Realm Crystal.

"Bansha!" Lydia called when she got close, and the sorceress looked up. "Bansha do you- do you know what happened to Morro?" The masked woman averted her gaze, and Lydia felt a jolt of alarm. Not a good sign.

"The Preeminent ordered him killed." She said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"Wh-what?!" Lydia wrenched herself out of the ghost's grip, immediately losing her balance and forcing Bansha to catch her. "Wh- why? What did he do to her?"

"The Preeminent accused him of planning to betray her, and ordered him killed and locked away in the Cursed Realm." Bansha explained softly. "She promised to protect you to calm him enough for her to hand him over to her guards." The sorceress shook her head. "I'm sorry." Lydia's eyes were wide, staring at the ground as she put the pieces together. If the Preeminent was going to be 'protecting her', and Morro was locked up in the Cursed Realm, then…

"I'm never going to see him again." She whispered, tears springing to her eyes. Bansha looked away again.

"I'm sorry, Lydia."

"And- and the Preeminent's going to go on to curse Earth, and- and- oh, I've ruined _e-everything!_ " Lydia started to cry, pushing away from Bansha and falling to her knees on the ground, pressing her hands to her face. "I'm- I'm responsible for billions of billions of people getting cursed- o-or killed- or- or-" She pressed her hands against her face, trying to muffle her sobs. Slowly, Bansha knelt beside her, and, after a few moments, put a hand on the crying teen's shoulder.

"I am sorry." She murmured. "But perhaps it will be for the best." 'The best'? How on earth could _this_ be for the best?! She couldn't speak to snap back at her, though, so she just cried. "I promise," Bansha whispered, leaning closer. "Everything will be alright." Lydia sniffled, managing to slow the flow of tears. What was that supposed to mean? And how would she know?

"Go. The Preeminent is expecting you." Bansha ordered, lifting the Realm Crystal in her free hand and creating a portal. Lydia sniffled, then rubbed her sleeve across her face, stumbling back upright with Bansha's help. Her escorts rejoined her, and, together, they stepped into the swirling portal.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"…don't want to believe it."

"I know. Neither do I. But the girl changed him, and you know it."

"Yes, but _betraying the Preeminent?_ For _her?"_

"He likes her a lot. It really wouldn't surprise me." Morro awoke to deep voices, discussing – well, him, apparently. He let out a weak groan, his chest ached terribly from being crushed by the Preeminent. Shifting, he opened his eyes, glancing up to see Soul Archer and Wrayth seated at a table, a row of bars separating him from them. He was locked up. He must be in the Cursed Realm, then.

"There, he's awake. You can ask him yourself." His eyes opened wider as the two at the table turned towards him, and he gasped, scrambling back a bit. He hated being locked up. Hated being so helpless.

"A-ask me what?" He stammered as the pair stood, approaching his cell.

"The Preeminent says you betrayed her. Soul Archer refuses to believe it. Did you?" Wrayth asked. Morro hesitated.

"I… didn't." He answered after a moment. "I- I wanted to. But I was too afraid of her. She- she said that counted as betrayal. She said I would have done it." His former partners exchanged glances.

"You _have_ changed." Soul Archer remarked. "You never used to be afraid of anything. What happened to our fearless leader?" Morro let out a half laugh, half cough.

"I've always been afraid of her. I just hid it well." On the other side of the room, a portal appeared, and Bansha stepped through.

"Lydia is delivered to the Preeminent." She reported. "Oh, you're awake. Hello, Morro."

"What does the Preeminent want with Lydia?" Morro demanded, ignoring her greeting.

"No harm will come to her. Our mistress only means to protect her from the impending invasion." Invasion…? Oh. Of Earth. The one he failed to stop. "Archer, Wrayth, return to Ninjago City." Bansha, who apparently had taken up his role as leader, ordered as she gestured to the portal she had come through. "I will deal with Morro." Wait. 'Deal with'? The two male ghosts obeyed without question, filing through the portal before it was closed.

Bansha then turned to him, walking up to his cell and clasping her hands behind her back. Warily, Morro pushed himself back until he hit the wall. What was she doing? She was silent for a few minutes, not breaking eye contact with him.

"I do not want to kill you." She said at last. "I want to help you."

"Wh- what do you mean?" He frowned a bit. Was she going to let him out?

"The Preeminent ordered I kill you, send you back to the Cursed Realm." He wasn't in the Cursed Realm already? "But I want no part in her schemes anymore. I want to stop her." Morro blinked. Really? Why? Why the change of heart?

"I understand your skepticism, but it's true. I want it to _stop_. The Preeminent cursing more Realms doesn't change the fact that we're still cursed, and the more worlds she destroys the more Realms will be just as bad as the Cursed Realm. For once, I want to be the good guy instead of the bad guy." Morro carefully pushed himself to his feet, bracing his hand against the back wall.

"Why are you telling me all this?" He asked softly. "I couldn't even work up the courage to betray her."

"You can't go back now, can you?" The ghost woman pointed out. "The Preeminent has rejected you. You can take your punishment, as undeserved as it may be, or you can join me and fight to save Lydia's world." She held out a hand towards him, a gesture he knew was meant to inspire trust. But did he trust her? Did she _really_ want to betray the Preeminent, or was this some kind of test? If he passed, maybe the Preeminent would take him back.

Whatever the case, the Preeminent was right. He _would_ have decided to betray her.

"Alright, I'm with you." Morro took a shaky step towards the door to his cell, but stumbled and had to catch himself on the wall. He was still weak.

"You're hurt." Bansha frowned, fishing the key to his cell out of her pocket and unlocking the door. "What happened?"

"The Preeminent nearly crushed me while she was yelling at me." He winced, accepting her outstretched hand. "My chest hurts and it's rather hard to breathe, but I can walk. Do you have a plan?"

"The start of one." Bansha replied. "For now, we should move somewhere where the Preeminent cannot hear our planning."

"And where would that be?" The sorceress lifted the Realm Crystal, and a portal appeared in front of them.

"The Underworld."

* * *

 **Soul Archer: *wordlessly passes the Preeminent $30***

 **~FFF**


	48. Some Assorted Manipulation

**can y'all pray for me bc im nervous about work tonight (those of you on tumblr will know why lol)**

 **Review replies:**

 **KitKat: Bansha is the MVP**

 **RandomDragon: I too am amused by my characters' suffering**

 **Spottedfrost: Good, good. You'll need it.**

 **Ebony: Why would it be worse without Morro? He would be a pain in the neck for Earth to fight against. They just might have a hope with him on their side.**

 **KaiIsAwesome: That remains to be seen. Most of the ghosts are like... criminals and stuff, so I'm gonna bet they stick with Karen on this one.**

 **MarbleBird: I tried to send it, did you get it?**

 **Candaru: Bansha might possibly have an advantage in the preeminent-not-hearing-them department**

 **Guest: Bansha's a real shifty character tbh**

* * *

 _"Lydia."_ The Preeminent greeted her as Lydia was carried within reach, reaching down with a tentacle and lifting her up off the ground. _"Did you enjoy your visit to Ninjago's biggest prison? I hear it's lovely this time of year."_

"Cut the small talk, Karen." Lydia snapped, crossing her arms. "You just killed my boyfriend and you're about to destroy my world. Don't talk to me like we're still cool."

 _"Aren't we? I'm protecting you."_

"I don't care about me! If I cared about me, you never would have gotten out of the Cursed Realm!" Sigh.

 _"Maybe so, but Morro cares about you."_

"Maybe so, but I'm never going to see him again, am I?"

 _"Who's to say you won't? Eternity is a long time."_ Lydia raised an eyebrow, suspicious.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

 _"You didn't think I'd leave you alive, did you? And even if I allowed you to live out your mortal life, in a Cursed world you would just become a ghost, albeit a rather feeble one. So, choose. Would you like to become a ghost now, or later?"_ It was then that it really hit Lydia that this was permanent. This was _forever_. As long as she lived, and longer, if the Preeminent was telling the truth, Karen was in charge. Any hope of her having a normal life was gone. Karen sighed as the brunette buried her face in her arms, trying not to cry again. _"Child, I know you are unhappy, and you do not agree with my methods. But I do care for you, so I will try to make your life as comfortable as possible."_ Lydia sniffled.

"I didn't know you were capable of caring."

 _"Neither did I, and really still don't. I can only imagine that that is what this feeling is."_ Lydia sniffled again, then rested her chin on her folded arms, feeling exhausted.

"I don't wanna be a ghost yet." She mumbled. "I don't want to be stuck a moody teenager for eternity like Morro." Karen laughed, but Lydia only felt worse at the thought of Morro.

She used to fantasize sometimes about being in Ninjago, and being like a guardian angel, a superpowerful being who could change things, protect people, fix things. She was doing a terrible job of that. Morro was locked up somewhere for trying to help her, Lloyd was abandoned in Krypterium, the ninja were imprisoned, maybe even dead-!

 _"Ninjago's protectors are not dead."_ She jumped at Karen's voice in her head. _"They were banished to Krypterium as well – eventually they and the green ninja will run into each other. Then they will likely attempt to create some sort of resistance group, but by then it will be too late."_ At least they weren't dead. Lydia didn't answer aloud, just stared down at the city. There were people in the streets now, humans. They either moved slowly, lethargically, or they flitted around, scared of the ghosts who were milling aimlessly around the city. Poor people. And soon Earth would be like that too…

"Karen," She said aloud. "Are you a monster?" The Preeminent didn't answer for a couple moments, then laughed, almost nervously.

 _"Child, look at me. What do you think?"_

"No, I don't mean like that. I mean…" Lydia shifted, lifting her head. "I always used to think of you as this horrible, manipulative, sadistic monster, whose only goal in life was to make people suffer. But you're not… I don't think you're like that, are you?" Karen was silent.

 _"No."_ She said at last.

"You're like a person. A bit more like a person than I guessed. You have feelings, and you get attached to people. Can you be sad? And happy? Or just angry?"

 _"I was upset when you were angry with me."_ Lydia blinked. She liked her that much?

"So you're not heartless. Why are you going around cursing Realms, then?"

 _"It is what I was created to do. It is my purpose, the only reason for my existence. And…"_ Karen hesitated. _"And I required more souls to sustain myself. I've been starving for the past thousand years, barely staying alive off one soul every few years. Access to an entire Realm… I can finally just_ live, _without fearing a death by starvation."_ Lydia stared. She had no idea the Preeminent had to 'eat' in a sense, though, logically, it made sense.

"So, if you didn't keep taking over Realms…" She said slowly. "You would die?"

 _"Yes. Eventually I would run out of souls in Ninjago, and, as no other Realm sends its' prisoners to the Cursed Realm, I would starve to death. It would take millions of years, but it would happen."_ Lydia frowned.

"If it's so far away, why even worry about it?"

 _"When you've lived for as long as I have, you learn to plan ahead."_

"I guess." Lydia lowered her head back down onto her arms again. Now she felt bad about trying to stop her. Starving for a thousand years didn't sound fun in the least, and she was only trying to stay alive. But all those people on earth… she was torn.

 _"By the way, I don't think you'll have to worry about your boyfriend."_ Karen remarked. _"Considering he's escaped."_

"H-huh?" Lydia's head popped up, and she stared up at the Preeminent in shock. "Wh-what do you mean?"

 _"I cannot feel his presence in either Realm I control, which means he is not in the Cursed Realm where I ordered he be imprisoned. That can only mean he has escaped."_ Lydia's heart leapt. He was okay! _"I wouldn't go that far. He will still be weak and injured from what I did to him."_ Lydia's head whirled to face her.

"What did you do."

 _"He is far too powerful for me to simply hand him over to my subjects and expect them to finish the job. So…"_ The tentacle tightened around her slightly, just enough to be uncomfortable. _"I crushed him"_

"You hurt him." Lydia infused just enough hurt into her voice to sound close to tears. It had the desired effect, as Karen was silent. "Morro looked up to you, he kept telling me how you were good, you were kind to him, you _helped_ him! And then you _literally_ crush his heart!" She snapped. "Why?!"

 _"I could not risk him endangering my plans."_

"Are your 'plans' so important that your subjects – even your _general_ – mean nothing to you?!"

 _"They are for the good of the Cursed Realm."_

"No, they're for the good of you." Lydia snapped. "Maybe you _are_ a monster." The Preeminent didn't answer, and Lydia focused on keeping her surface thoughts angry. Finally, the tentacle lowered her down onto the roof of a skyscraper, setting her down on the cold concrete.

 _"Stay there."_ Karen ordered, then began to float away. Lydia watched her for a long time, until she was hopefully too far away to hear her. Then, with a sigh, she lay down on her back on the cold concrete, staring up at the green sky.

"I can't believe I just tricked a mind reader."

* * *

 **Yes I know im a jerk**

 **~FFF**


	49. Team-up!

**Ok I literally just have 4 minutes to post this so no review replies neither is this proofread sorry :P**

* * *

"Hiding in the Underworld is not a plan, Bansha."

"I didn't say it was my plan, I said it was the start of a plan." Bansha corrected him calmly, leading Morro through a crowd of gawking skeletons. "Help me find someplace not infested with these infernal skeletons, so we can talk."

"You're not… concerned at all that we just barged into their Realm and their reaction to us using it as a hideout? They _are_ fully armed, and, if I remember correctly, rather violent."

"We're ghosts, and I doubt they have water in this Realm, which is mostly rocks and lava." Bansha shrugged. "We should be fine." Morro frowned, then yelped as a huge skeleton abruptly jumped into their path.

"State your business in the Underworld, intruders!" He yelled, brandishing a scimitar. Bansha ignored him, walking right through him, and Morro slowly followed. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" The skeleton yelled after them, but Bansha shook her head.

"Just ignore him. They'll probably go away." Morro sighed, but obeyed.

The skeletons did not, in fact, go away. The crowd followed them wherever they went, until they finally summoned their dragons and flew up to a piece of land floating high above the main landmass, only connected by a thick, metal chain. The skeletons could climb after them, but at least it would buy them a few minutes.

"Poor creatures." Bansha muttered as they landed. "They've been down here for thousands of years, of course they're so fascinated by us. First Spinjitzu Master knows nothing else interesting must happen here."

"Mmm." Rather than follow them up, the skeletons just stared after them from the cliff they had taken off from. "I think they'll leave us alone for now."

"Good." Bansha desummoned her dragon, then sat down cross-legged on the platform. "So what are our options? Our advantages? We have the Realm Crystal, but the Preeminent has the numbers advantage. She's confined to Ninjago, but we can't exactly take it back."

"I wonder how they killed her in the original timeline." Morro mused, sitting down across from her.

"I once caught a glimpse of it from Lydia's thoughts. I believe the water ninja got her true potential, just in time to knock the Preeminent into an ocean chasm. However, that was a very specific set of circumstances, one I doubt we can replicate."

"True." Morro sighed, resting his chin on his hand. "Maybe we could… trick her into going back into the Cursed Realm? No, that wouldn't work… mind reading."

"Actually, we have a way around that." Bansha tapped her forehead with a finger. "My powers. I can shield my thoughts from her." Morro blinked.

"You can?"

"Yes. I got tired of her snooping in my thoughts a long time ago."

"That's- wow. But, won't she get suspicious if you're hiding your thoughts?"

"No, she hasn't been able to see my mind in years. She's used to it."

"Great! So do you think we can do it, then?"

"Perhaps… but, if she wants to start the invasion like she wanted to in Ninjago, she'll want to send her armies ahead. They will discover pretty quickly that it is not Earth." Bansha shook her head. "I don't know."

"Well… maybe you could convince her that it would be best for her to go in first. That if the ghosts go in first, the Earthlings might discover their weakness and be able to come up with some weapon capable of defeating her. They are a fairly technologically-advanced race, after all." He paused. "Plans to save the world aside, can we rescue Lydia?" Bansha raised an eyebrow.

"She is safe with the Preeminent."

"I know that, I just…" Morro shrugged. "I want to make sure."

"Well, as long as the Preeminent has a physical hold on her, I can do nothing. But I'll go see." Bansha stood. "When shall we put our plan into motion?"

"As soon as possible, but, if you can get her back here, I want to hear Lydia's input. She does know the most about Earth, being a native, and probably more about the Preeminent than I do at this point." The sorceress nodded.

"It wouldn't surprise me. That kid has got more than a few tricks up her sleeves." Bansha lifted the Realm Crystal, creating a portal that presumably lead to Ninjago. "Stay here. I'll be back." She stepped through the portal and vanished. Sighing, Morro leaned back on his hands. Bansha would likely be a while. What was he supposed to do until then?

Then a clinking chain caught his attention, and he turned around to see the skeletons crawling over the edge of the platform.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"This sucks!" Kai yelled, throwing a plastic cup at the wall. It bounced off and hit Cole, who glared at him.

"Yeah, Kai, we know. But throwing a tantrum isn't going to help anything.

"Shut up, Cole." The brunette snapped. "Can't you see that we've _lost?!_ We lose Ninjago, we lost _Lloyd!_ And it's all Lydia's fault!" Nya groaned, rubbing her forehead.

"I'm going for a walk. Someone talk some sense into Kai, I'm too tired."

"I don't need 'some sense talking into' me!" Kai yelled after her as she walked off. "It's TRUE! She told us what the ending would be if not for her, and we won in that one! She made us lose to that- that stupid blob!"

"We get it, Kai." Jay muttered, lying on his back with his feet up on a chair. "You're mad and you need someone to blame. But you know she wasn't trying to do this. She as trying to give us a better ending, like… like one where Lloyd's dad doesn't die." He gestured to Garmadon, who was sitting on the far side of the large room with his brother.

"Well, I'd prefer one where Ninjago survives, thank you very much." Kai spat. "And if she was really trying, why go off with Morro? Why allow him to use her as bait for the Realm Crystal? How do we know she hasn't been working with him all along?!"

"Alright, that's a bit of a stretch." Jay rolled over and sat up. "She got attached to him, that's all. She wasn't working with him, and definitely not from the start. You saw them fight!"

"That could have been faked!" The fire ninja protested.

"Kai, you just see the worst in people." Cole shook his head. "Everyone you meet, you suspect of being evil. Except Skylor." Kai crossed his arms as the others snickered.

"Skylor is the _reason_ I don't trust cute girls who are generally helpful. Because, if you can stop mocking me for one minute and _think_ , she _was_ evil." Cole raised an eyebrow.

"You think Lydia's cute?"

"Suck a lemon, Cole." As the rest of the ninja got another laugh at Kai's expense, Nya sprinted into the room, skidding to a stop.

"GUYS!" She yelled. "I FOUND LLOYD!" The ninja sprang to their feet in unison, and Lloyd's dad looked up in shock.

"Lloyd? He's here?"

"Yeah- he's-" Nya leaned over to brace her hands on her knees, panting. "He's- he's in a cell a ways- a ways that way. He says Lydia and Morro- were here, but the Preeminent called them away."

"Where?" Kai demanded. "Take us to him!" Nya nodded, and waited for the Sensei to get to their feet before leading them back the way she had come.

They hurried as fast as they could with the two older men coming along, and got to Lloyd's cell in about five minutes. The blond was propped up in the corner, a nearly-empty bottle of water sitting next to him, and he smiled as they came into view.

"I'm so glad you guys are okay!" He called as soon as they got close. "I mean, I thought I was dead when Morro handed me over to the Preeminent, but I thought you guys were dead when I got locked up here." Kai didn't respond, just hurried closer, shoving the door open and hurrying inside to kneel next to him.

"Are you badly hurt?" He asked in concern, his eyes skimming over the bruises on the blond's face and arms.

"Not that badly. I got beat up by the other prisoners when I got dropped off here, but I'm okay." Lloyd shook his head, then let out a squeak as Kai pulled him into a hug. "Ow."

"Sorry, sorry." Kai pulled back, but didn't let go of him. "I was so worried. I thought for sure you were dead."

"That seems to be a common notion." The blond chuckled a bit. "But… we're all alive, apparently. Which is kinda weird. Karen left us alive." Kai blinked.

"Karen?"

"Oh, um, the Preeminent. Lydia named her Karen, apparently, and it rubbed off on me." Kai scowled at the mention of Lydia, but it faded as Lloyd stared at the ground. "I hope she's okay."

"Lloyd, it's her fault we're in this mess."

"And it's her 'fault' my dad's alive!" Lloyd gestured to the older man, who was standing outside with the others. "And- and I know it's selfish, but I like this better!" He blinked rapidly, trying to hold back tears. "Why can't we just have a good ending? I don't want anyone to die, but I don't want Ninjago lost either!"

"Anyone?" Kai raised an eyebrow. "Even Morro? Or that ugly blob?"

"Morro's not… Morro's getting better, I think. I don't want him dead." Lloyd shook his head. "As for the Preeminent, um… I can't say I care about her. But killing her would destroy the Cursed Realm, and… I think it's too late." The blond let out a shaky breath, running a hand down his face. "This is so bad. I just… I still can't believe the Preeminent won."

"I'm having trouble with it too." Kai huffed a bit. "I just… we're the ninja! We're supposed to win!"

"And we lost." Nya said softly, coming into the cell and kneeling next to them. "And… she's too powerful to kill. I guess all we can do is… live with it."

"No!" Kai shot to his feet. "We're not giving up!"

"But what can we do?" Lloyd protested. "We can't fight her! She's too strong!"

"Maybe not alone," An unfamiliar voice sounded behind them, and Kai spun around to see a ghost standing in the hall behind them, propping up Lydia with an arm across her back. "But together, we might just stand a chance."

* * *

 **Oh look, the predictable bad guys teaming up with good guys. wow.**

 **~FFF**


	50. Portals are Extremely Handy

**chapter 50 YEET**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Candaru: Bansha is the Real MVP**

 **Zena: lol yes**

 **KitKat: Teamwork! If they can keep it up.**

 **KaiIsAwesome: I try.**

 **RandomDragon: Kai needs to _chill_. Also yep seems about accurate :'D**

 **Ebony: Which is like... I don't know. 200, 300 people? Out of 7 billion? I mean, news could spread pretty fast, but they really couldn't stop the sheer number of ghosts that would continue coming back via the Preeminent.**

 **TheKittenQueen: I'm so glad you've enjoyed it! :D**

 **MarbleBird: So late? Wow okay.**

 **Ms. Cipher: That was my favorite bit too haha**

 **Ninjagirl: I'm so sorry D': I'm just,,, really stuck on this next part, and I kinda wanted to get this fic finished first because I have *pauses to count* 5. unfinished stories. and if I get back to updating TDR regularly then I'll stop updating this. But this fic can't be more than like 10 chapters longer, so I should be back to updating it soon :'D**

 **Guest: yeet**

* * *

"Lydia!" Lloyd exclaimed, but Kai was already on his feet, assuming a fighting stance.

"Who are you?!" He demanded, glaring at Bansha. The sorceress was unfazed.

"My name is Bansha. I am on your side."

"Oh yeah?! Prove it!"

"Kai, give it a rest." Lydia spoke up, sounding tired. Kai's glare turned to her.

"And you! You're the reason we're in this mess!" He snapped.

"I-" she started, but he kept going.

"If it wasn't for you, we would have won! If you'd done what you said you would, which was actually try to _stop_ Morro, we would have won! You had plenty of chances, but you passed them up, and now-"

"Hey!" She yelled, interrupting him. "I _know!_ You think I haven't figured that out? Not only did I doom Ninjago, but I doomed my own Realm as well! I realize that!" Kai kept glaring, but not quite as hard. "But, like Bansha says, together we might have a chance to stop this. Bansha and Morro betrayed the Preeminent, stole the Realm Crystal, and have come up with a plan to defeat her. Come with us, Morro is waiting in a safe place where you can stay while they try to get the Preeminent out of Ninjago."

"'Stay'?" Kai demanded. "You want us to just sit around while-"

"I wouldn't mind that." Lloyd interrupted softly, and Kai glanced down at him, his scowl fading. "It's going to be a while before I heal, anyway…" The brunette hesitated, then groaned.

"Okay, fine, we'll go hide out while some dumb ghosts save Ninjago."

"Hey!" Lydia exclaimed. "These 'dumb ghosts' have found Lloyd a safe place to rest and heal, and came up with a plan to _save your world._ At least be _polite_." Kai huffed, but didn't respond. Wordlessly, Bansha lifted the Crystal, and a portal appeared.

"Everyone through." She ordered, and the ninja and Sensei began to file through, Bansha and Lydia following them once they were all inside. When they stepped out onto the floating platform, Bansha was annoyed to discover that Morro was longer where she left him.

"Where's Morro?" Kai asked flatly as the sorceress lowered Lydia to the ground.

"My guess is he's wandered off." Bansha answered with a sigh. "I'll go look for him. Stay here. I'm not going looking for any of you if you run off." Summoning her dragon, she took off, leaving the ninja to gape after her from the platform.

She soon found Morro, sitting in a cage suspended at the end of a pole that hung hundreds of feet above the lava.

"How did you end up there?" She called as she got close, noting his crossed arms and sullen expression.

"The skeletons caught me by surprise." He called back. "I didn't think they would have vengestone." The ghost boy held up his wrists, which were chained with black cuffs.

"I suppose we'll have to get a key for those." The sorceress muttered, stopping her dragon to hover beside his cage.

"You mean like that one?" Morro gestured towards the base of the pole, and Bansha turned to see a skeleton guard with a ring of keys on the ground next to him – asleep.

"Yes, like that one." She dropped down twenty feet to the base, snatched up the ring of keys, then flew back up. "I found your girlfriend." She reported as she tried different keys in the lock. "And she had me go check on Lloyd, and the rest of the ninja were there, so I brought back her and the entire ninja crew."

"Joy." Morro muttered as the lock clicked and the door swung open. "So… we're allies, now?"

"Yes."

"Great. They're going to murder me on sight." He took the ring of keys from her, trying each one in his cuffs until they popped open.

"No they won't. Why do you get 'they're going to kill me' from 'they're my allies'? Besides, they respect your girlfriend."

"Stop calling her that!" Morro snapped, and Bansha jumped at his outburst. Noticing her reaction, he frowned and looked away. "We… can't be together. And I don't like it, so don't remind me." Frowning, Bansha poked into his mind for a moment, but his thoughts were just a confused jumble of emotions.

"You're a wreck." She muttered, pulling away.

"What?"

"Let's get back to the others." Turning away, she started to fly back towards where the others were waiting, and saw a flash of light out of the corner of her vision as he summoned his dragon and flew after her.

They flew for about a minute in silence before the island came into view, at which point he sped up ahead of her, landing on the edge of the platform and running to Lydia's side. Bansha landed beside the ninja a moment later, watching as they hugged each other and ignored the ninja's stares.

"Yep." Kai said at last. "She can't be trusted." Lydia pitched a rock at him.

"Like you're any better at not falling in love with evil people!" She yelled, and the fire ninja sputtered in indignation.

"You _knew_ he was evil! This is different!"

"Yeah, I actually got to know him before falling in love with him. You just fell in love with Skylor because she was hot." Kai flushed.

"That's not true!"

"Lydia, the first thing you said when you met Morro was 'he's hot'." Nya interjected. Lydia blinked.

"Correct. Kai and Cole are also hot, and I'm not in love with either of them."

"Wait a minute," Cole cut in. "You think Kai's hot?"

"Yes, he is. He's a prime example of society's ideal human of the male subtype, tanned, muscular, well-proportioned facial features." Lydia replied, her face and tone completely devoid of emotion. Cole fell down laughing.

"That's just… when you say it like that…" He wheezed. "That's _funny_."

"Ninja, if you can please focus, we should discuss _saving your world_." Bansha spoke up flatly. "Please quiet down, and I'll explain our plan." The ninja turned towards her, Cole sitting up and managing to resume a straight face. "Alright, here's our current plan…"

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"I'm so glad you're okay." Lydia pressed her forehead against Morro's shoulder, staring at the ground. "Bansha told me the Preeminent had you killed, and… I thought I was never gonna see you again."

"I was worried for you too. Bansha rescued me before I was locked up, if she hadn't… I wouldn't be able to affect anything. I couldn't save Earth. Or you." Morro closed his eyes, arms wrapped loosely around her shoulders. "And… I still can't, sort of. I can't get anywhere near the Preeminent, or she'll read my mind and figure out our plan. Bansha's the only one that can pull it off, because, with her powers-"

"I know, she told me." Lydia cut him off.

"Ah." They were silent for a few moments. "Lydia, can I see your world?"

"Huh?" She lifted her head, looking up at him.

"Can we go to your world, just for a few minutes? I want to see it." Lydia frowned, then shrugged.

"I guess, if you can get the crystal from Bansha." Morro lifted a hand, and the Realm Crystal floated over and landed in his palm. "That works." He winked, then handed it to her, standing and scooping her up.

"Hey!" Bansha yelled, and Morro glanced over to see her jumping to her feet. "What do you think you're doing?"

"We're going to Earth. Just for a few minutes, we'll be right back." Lydia called back cheerfully, then closed her eyes and a portal appeared. Before Bansha could stop them, Morro stepped through the swirling portal, and they appeared on a path cloaked with green grass. Stumbling a bit on the squishy ground, Morro looked up as the portal disappeared, blinking in the bright light of mid-morning. They were standing at the bottom of a hill, on a grassy path that ran along the edge of a forest. Birdsong came from the trees around them, on which leaves were just starting to grow.

"Where are we?" He asked aloud. He didn't see a house.

"In my backyard. Up there's my house." Lydia pointed up the hill, cradling the Realm Crystal to her chest, and Morro started walking. About halfway up the hill, the building came into view, a large, two-story house with a slanted roof. Lydia bit her lip.

"I'm suddenly homesick."

"We could go over, if you like."

"No, then I'd have to explain everything, and we have to be back in a few minutes." She shook her head, her gaze falling to the ground. Then she let out a loud squeal, making him jump and stop in his tracks.

"ZANE!" The ghost looked around in confusion, expecting to see the Nindroid, but finally followed her gaze to a fluffy, tan cat who was trotting across the grass towards her. "Put me down!" She exclaimed, struggling a bit, and he set her down on the grass so she could grab the cat and pull her into her arms. She giggled, burying her face in the cat's side as he purred, and when she lowered him into her lap there were tears in her eyes.

"You named your cat 'Zane'?" Morro sat down next to her, patting the cat's head.

"Haha. Yeah." She rubbed her sleeve across her face, grinning. "He has two brothers, Cole and Lloyd."

"No cat named after me?" He teased.

"I've been waiting for a black cat." She rolled her eyes, then scooped up Zane again, lifting him over her head and falling back onto the grass. "Look how big you are!" She squealed. Zane just purred, apparently used to this treatment. "Did you miss me? I bet you did. It's been…" Lydia trailed off, lowering the cat down onto her chest. "…wait. I got sent to Ninjago in… October, or something. And it's… spring now. April, or even May. But that's…" She paused to count. "That's like six months! I haven't spent six months in Ninjago, two at most!"

"So… time passes more quickly here?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He had to take her word for it, months had different names in Ninjago.

"I- I guess. Like- three times as quickly."

"Oh. That means we can stay here for three times as long as we said we would." Morro smiled, but Lydia looked upset.

"That means I've been gone for half a year." She said softly. "Everyone must think I'm dead. I should go tell my family I'm okay! Oh, but I don't have time…"

"If we're late, it won't change anything. We have the Realm Crystal, they can't do anything without us. If you want to go tell them, then let's go." Lydia stared at Zane for a few moments, hesitating. Finally, she nodded.

"Okay. Let's go."

* * *

 **I'm glad I proofread this one because there were so many mistakes**

 **~FFF**


	51. Family?

**Sorry I didn't update for a little while I was distracted making an ~animation~ (which is not finished so expect infrequent updates until it is)**

 **Review replies:**

 **KitKat: Ah yes, I am quite proud of how I make Kai act like a self-absorbed jerk who probably wants to shove me off the island into the lava**

 **Candaru: I read the first line in Jay's voice thanks**

 **Spottedfrost: Nah the reason for that is because it's been 6 months irl since I started this story and I didn't feel like putting myself back on earth in the middle of winter so YEET time differences**

 **Marblebird: Kind of hard to chill when you're in a hostile environment almost constantly lul**

 **Ebony: Erm... yeah but I don't have any paper or anything :P**

 **NinjagoPotterWarriorsFan: This, my friends, is how to write a proper review.**

 **Ihaveaproblem: Don't worry, I will. Just maybe not right now. I'm on a deadline.**

 **Guest: Ahaha I don't think any of my siblings are obsessed with Morro as I am :P Except maybe Sarah...**

 **RandomDragon: They got this**

 **Bookkeeper: Okay but actually? My neighbors moved out last year and some new ones moved in not long after and they are _literally_ like an extension of our family I swear, we're both homeschooled and Christians and we have a lot of the same interests? And they have a big family just like us? They're like my only irl friends who like Ninjago LOL ALSO I literally just realized that last line is a quote lol**

 **Okay but the smol bean cat from last chapter, Zane? He got stuck in a tree this morning. Our lousy older cat, King, chased him up a tree and he was stuck there for like half an hour :(**

* * *

"How am I supposed to act?" Lydia muttered as Morro carried her up the front walk. "I've been missing for a while. Should I be, like… upset? About being missing?"

"Are you? Shouldn't you just act how you feel?" Morro raised an eyebrow.

"No, no, I have to act relative to those around me. Otherwise I'll look fake."

"Faking emotions as to not look fake. _That_ makes sense." The ghost muttered, stepping onto the porch.

"I don't know. My guess is that most people are going to cry over me, and _that_ won't be fun. And how are they going to react to you? You're green. And transparent. I mean, my siblings will know you if I tell them it's you, but do you want me to?" Morro frowned.

"You never did tell me how you know everything."

"Later. Should I tell them or not?"

"Whatever. What else would you tell them? They're going to ask who I am, might as well tell them the truth. Anyway, wouldn't they recognize me? You did."

"Yes, but I- I know you better. Knew you better, I know you even better now." She shook her head. "Just… just knock. The longer we stand here, the later we're going to be." Shrugging, Morro stepped up to the door.

"How am I supposed to knock, both my hands are full carrying you?"

"Set me down, then. I can stand. Sort of. I just can't walk."

"Alright." He set her down next to him, and she clutched his arm with both hands as he pulled open the glass door and knocked on the thicker, wooden one just inside. For a few moments, there was silence, then a face appeared through the opaque glass next to the door. He only saw it for a moment before it vanished, then the door was unlocked and thrown open. Standing in the open doorway was a short, wide-eyed girl with curly hair, who was clutching the doorknob with both hands as she stared.

" _Lydia?!"_ She demanded in a high-pitched voice. Lydia waved.

"Hi Miriam." The girl, Miriam, kept staring, barely even noticing Morro. Finally, she threw her hands up in the air, screeching,

"Where have you _been?!"_

"Ninjago. What month is it?"

"I- I don't know! Who's _that?_ " She gestured at Morro wildly.

"This is Morro." Miriam's head snapped around to look at him. "Can we come inside? I'm tired of standing around on one foot." Wordlessly, Miriam stepped aside, and Morro helped Lydia hop up the step and through the door. She directed him to a room off to the right, where he lowered her down on a couch as Miriam ran off, yelling,

" _MOM!_ "

"So… how many siblings do you have, again?" Morro asked, eyeing a little boy who was peeking into the room.

"Eight. Hi Daniel!" She waved. The boy waved back, then yelled across the room,

"Who is that?"

"This is Morro." She called back. Daniel laughed.

"Morro's not real!"

"Yeah he is!" Lydia ignored Morro's funny look. "I know, it's weird. But he's sitting right here."

"You're _Morro?"_ The boy crept closer.

"Yeah." Morro nodded. Daniel slowly approached the couch until he was about a foot away, then reached out and poked him in the leg.

"Ha! You're not a ghost!" he declared triumphantly. Lydia started giggling, and Morro stuck his hand through the kid's head.

"Yes I am." He said flatly as Daniel jumped back.

"Whoa… you _are_ Morro!" He jumped up and down, then ran out of the room without looking back.

"What a welcome." Lydia muttered. "No 'hi Lydia', no 'I'm so glad you're alive Lydia', noooooo. 'Whee it's Morro, he's so cool'." Morro rolled his eyes.

"He's what, six?"

"Yeah. Wait, no. Five? I don't remember."

"It's only been two months, have you forgotten already?" Lydia threw her hands up in the air.

"I already didn't know!"

"How do you not know your own siblings' ages?"

"I have eight! I tend to lose track! I don't remember _my_ age half the time!"

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen. Maybe?" She paused. "Yeah, that."

"Right." Morro paused. "I'm gonna… go back outside. I think I'm scaring your siblings, and I don't want to get in the way." Lydia blinked.

"Are you bailing on me?"

"Yes."

"Okay, whatever. Just make sure to come back, I can't walk."

"I'll be back in about ten minutes." He stood, waved goodbye to the little girl who had just run into the room, the phased through the wall back out onto the porch. Almost immediately, he heard loud voices from inside, confirming his theory that he was indeed scaring her family away, and he stepped off onto the sidewalk, flying up onto the slanted roof of the house and sitting down to wait.

Earth was so… vibrant. Even in Ninjago, the colors in nature were slightly more... muted, and that's not even to mention the Cursed Realm. But on Earth, the grass was a shimmering sea of green, and the sky was a brilliant blue. Some of the trees were starting to flower, white and pink blossoms like the ones on the cherry trees that would flower around Wu's monastery.

"I want to live here." He said with a sigh, lying down on his back on the warm shingles. "Well… not _here_ , obviously. But on Earth." He would probably have to avoid Lydia once all this was over, if he ever wanted to get over her. "Ugh. But I'd probably have a terrible life, considering I'm a ghost. People would probably either fear me or hate me." And there was no way to turn a ghost back into a human, so...

A sound startled him, and he jerked upright, afraid he'd been caught talking to himself, but it was just a yellow cat, who was… on the roof somehow.

"Hey little guy." He greeted the cat, who trotted across the roof towards him and sniffed his hand. "I bet you're Lloyd, aren't you?" How many yellow cats could there be wandering around here? Unless 'Lloyd' wasn't yellow, but if Lydia's comment about a black cat was any indication, he probably was. Anyway, he was overthinking this. The cat seemed to like him, anyway.

Morro sat on the roof for about ten minutes, talking to himself/the cat. Finally, he bid the cat goodbye, and floated back down to the ground, phasing back through the front door. Lydia was still on the same couch, and now was surrounded by people, a middle-aged woman – her mother – sitting next to her on the couch, with eight other people of varying ages standing nearby or sitting on the ground, from the tiny little girl he had seen earlier to a young woman. Lydia's mother spotted him immediately, and _screamed_.

"What in the _world?!"_ She demanded as Lydia's head snapped around to look at him. "Who the-"

"It's okay!" Lydia interrupted. "That's Morro. He's my friend."

"HE WENT THROUGH THE WALL."

"He's a ghost. Ghosts can go through things." Morro stepped back towards the door.

"Should I leave again?"

"No, no, we need to go back. We've been gone too long already." Lydia unsteadily tried to push herself upright, but her mother grabbed her arm.

"You're going back?"

"I have to. Ninjago's been taken over, they need this to beat the bad guy." She held up the Realm Crystal. "I just wanted to let you know I'm okay, and I'm going to be in a safe place during the fighting, so don't worry. I'll be back in probably under a week, but time passes three times faster here, so it's hard to say." Her mother hesitated, then let go of her arm.

"You won't be in any danger?"

"Nope."

"Then… alright. Good luck." Lydia's mother kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too." Lydia gave her mom a quick hug, then looked over at Morro. Deciding that this was his cue to approach, Morro did so, noting most of her siblings backing away. Two little girls stayed, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Morro, this is Sarah, and Angela." Lydia gestured to the pair as he helped her upright. "Sarah wants to marry you, and-"

"I DON'T WANT TO MARRY HIM!" The shorter girl yelled. "I USED TO!"

"Okay, I stand corrected. And Angela is, um… a big fan of yours." Morro gave them a short bow.

"Pleased to meet you." Angela waved, and Sarah just stared. "Not very talkative, are they?"

"Nope. We're a shy bunch." Lydia shook her head, lifting the Realm Crystal. "Someone grab Rose, I don't want her running into the portal." Obediently, the oldest sister grabbed the youngest, who protested loudly. Lydia then created a portal right in front of them, and Morro moved to enter, but Lydia's mother grabbed her arm.

"Wait. Can I talk to you for a moment?" Lydia frowned, but nodded.

"Morro, can you give us a minute?" He nodded as she closed the portal, and let go of her as she sat back down. He stepped away as they began to talk.

"Um. Excuse me. Morro?" He looked down to see one of the little girls staring up at him. Sarah.

"Yes?" She waved him closer, and he knelt down so she could whisper in his ear,

"Do you have wind powers?" He leaned close to whisper back,

"Yes I do." Her eyes widened.

"Can you show me?" Morro glanced around, which had a surprising amount of loose paper just lying around.

"Not in here, I don't want to make a mess. How about we go outside?"

"Yeah!" Sarah jumped up and ran for the front door, followed by the youngest, who screeched,

"I WANNA GO OUTSIDE!"

"Not without shoes!" Her mother yelled before going back to her conversation with Lydia. Sarah ignored her, throwing the door open and running out onto the lawn while Morro took a shortcut through the wall. He noticed the other siblings crowding to the windows as he and Sarah ran about twenty feet away from the porch, where he stopped and lifted himself up in the air. Sarah's mouth dropped open, her hair whipping in the wind.

"Do me!" She yelled, and he lifted her up with him. She let out a whoop, arms outstretched to either side to balance. "Now put me down!" Rolling his eyes, Morro lowered them both back down to the ground.

"Morro, we need to go!" Lydia yelled, and he looked up to see her standing in the doorway, leaning on her mom. He nodded, bowing to Sarah again and making her giggle before running to join Lydia.

"What did your mom want to talk about?" He asked quietly as he half carried her off the porch. She blushed.

"Let's talk about that later. We're already late, we need to get back to the Underworld." Morro shrugged, watching Sarah run back to the porch before Lydia created the portal again. She gave her family a final wave before letting him help her through, and, in an instant, the vibrant colors of Lydia's world disappeared, replaced by the dull greys and blues of the Underworld.

"Took you long enough." Morro glanced to his left to see the rest of the party staring at them, the speaker evidently being Kai, whose arms were crossed as he glared daggers at them.

"Heck off Kai, I was talking to my _family_." Lydia hurled the word at him like it was an insult. "You of all people should understand that." Kai actually had the decency to look ashamed for a moment.

"Morro, give me the Realm Crystal." Bansha ordered, and Morro obeyed, taking the Crystal from Lydia and floating it over to her. "Good." The sorceress caught it, creating a portal. "Stay here, everyone."

"Where are you going?" Kai muttered.

"I'm going to save your world."

* * *

 **Bansha: only with love and friendship and teamwork can we beat the preeminent**

 **Also Bansha: lol jk I'm gonna go win by myself**

 **~FFF**


	52. Romance?

**I literally have to leave for work any second now so no review replies and it's not proofread sorry but HERE**

* * *

 _"Bansha."_ The Preeminent's voice was cold in Bansha's head. _"You're late."_

"I apologize." Bansha replied aloud, bowing her head. "I was… occupied."

 _"I see you have lost Morro. And, evidently, Lydia, too."_

"I'm sorry. I underestimated him, and he escaped." Bansha recited her carefully-planned excuse. "He stole the Realm Crystal and his girlfriend, and I managed to hunt him down, but he threw the Realm Crystal off a precipice and I was forced to rescue it while he escaped through a pre-made portal. I have no idea where they are now." The Preeminent was silent for a long time. Finally, she said,

 _"Open the portal. Now. We storm Earth immediately."_

"Wait," Bansha hastened to say, stopping the Preeminent as she started to turn away. "Master, I've seen Lydia's thoughts. Earth is a highly technologically-advanced Realm, if they discover a ghost's weakness, they may be able to create something capable of killing even you." The Preeminent paused.

 _"And hoiw would you suggest I solve this problem? Give up?"_

"Of course not! Do you take me for a traitor?" Bansha bristled. "Simply go through yourself first. That way they will not have time to come up with something strong enough before they are stormed and defeated." The Preeminent pondered this for a few moments.

 _"Very well."_ She said at last. _"Make the portal."_

"First, I must find a good location. Earth is 75% water, and I do not want to drop you in the ocean." Bansha created a small portal in front of her. "I will be back shortly."

 _"Very well."_ The Preeminent acknowledged dismissively. _"Go. I want Earth captured as soon as possible."_ Bansha nodded, then stepped into the portal, which took her back to their Underworld base.

"She believes me." She reported, the portal vanishing as the others looked up at her. "I told her I am scoping out a location for the portal. Is there anything more I should know?"

"Well, time passes three times faster on Earth." Lydia spoke up from where she sat on the ground. "But I don't know if it's… worth telling her that." Bansha raised an eyebrow.

"I suppose not. I'll return in a few minutes, then." She wandered over to the edge of the platform, noting the skeletons milling around aimlessly below. Apparently they had given up on trying to catch them. The ninja were doing much of the same – nothing. Most were talking in small groups; a couple were sleeping. Overall, though, they seemed tense. They knew what was at risk.

Morro and Lydia, on the other hand, seemed fairly calm. They sat on the opposite side of the platform from everyone else, leaning on each other as they stared off into the distance and spoke quietly. Morro, Bansha thought wryly, was doing a quite admirable job of curbing his affections for Lydia. That is, he wasn't even trying.

Sighing, Bansha sat down on the edge of the platform, dangling her legs over the lava far below. She needed to clear her head if she was going to be able to pull this off. It really was very tricky to trick a mind-reader.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"Lydia?"

"Mmm?"

"Is now later?"

"Huh?"

"You said you would explain how you knew everything 'later'. And what your mom said." Morro raised his eyebrows. "Is now later?"

"No." Lydia crossed her arms and looked away.

"Come on, Lydia, why not?" He pleaded. "I think I have a right to know."

"Actually, my mom and I's personal conversation is none of your business."

"I mean how you know everything about me, and you know it."

"And why do you have a right to know that?"

"Because it's creepy and stalker-ish that you know all that about me." Lydia threw her hands up in the air.

"It's not like that!"

"Then what is it like?"

"I'm not telling you!"

"Why not?"

"I'd like to keep at least a bit of my air of mystery about me, thank you very much."

"I could possess you and find out." He threatened.

"Please. You tried that once, and it didn't work, remember?" She huffed. Oh yeah, he did.

"Alright, then… please?" He clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture. "I really want to know." Lydia glanced at him, then away. Finally, she let out a long sigh.

"Alright, fiiiiiineeeee." Morro grinned, then leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you." He whispered as she blushed.

"Y-you're welcome." She hesitated for a couple moments, trying to find words, then finally blurted out, "You're a TV show." Morro blinked.

"I'm a what?"

"You- and- wait, do you know what a TV show _is?_ " He shook his head. "Well… that's going to make this a lot harder to explain. Um, let's see. The simple explanation is… the events here are portrayed as fantasy on Earth. People think you – and the ninja – are just characters." Morro frowned.

"So… you just hear the stories?"

"Yeah, basically."

"You fell in love with a character from a story? The _villain_ , no less?"

"…yyyyes. It happens more than you might think."

"That's so weird." Morro remarked. "So… I'm famous on Earth?"

"Sort of. A little bit. Ninjago isn't that popular, unfortunately."

"Still, that's more famous than I am in Ninjago!" He grinned. "But, then, if Ninjago's story isn't very popular… I sure am lucky it was you who got sent here." Lydia blinked.

"Uh, yeah. Especially considering Earth's population is probably many times larger than Ninjago's. _Extremely_ lucky. But then, that begs the question of why and how I'm here in the first place. And maybe I wasn't the only one? What if there are tons of other people who ended up here, and just didn't have the universe knowledge to find-"

"Lydia," Morro interrupted her. "Stop overthinking this."

"But overthinking is my specialty!"

"But we have better things to do!"

"Like what?"

"Like enjoy our time together. If Bansha's plan fails, there's no telling what could happen. Most likely we'd never see each other again, so let's enjoy this time together while we can." Lydia fell silent, thoughtful.

"You're right." She said at last, and leaned towards him, resting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her back, resting his head on top of hers. They were silent for a long time, staring off into the distance.

"Morro?" Lydia spoke up at last. "Do you love me?"

"Yeah. Isn't it obvious?"

"No, I mean, like, do you _really_ love me, a lot, or do you just kinda casually love me?" Morro blinked.

"The first one?"

"Is that a question or an answer?"

"An answer."

"Good." She sounded relieved.

"Lydia, I wouldn't treat you like I do if I didn't love you."

"Good. That's… less common on Earth."

"Hmm." Morro pulled her closer. "Do you really love _me_ a lot?" He asked, his tone teasing but the question genuine.

"Yes." She replied without skipping a beat. "Maybe too much, which could mean that I'm just infatuated with you. But I hope not. I think I'm past that stage."

"I hope so. I like having you love me."

"And I like having _you_ love _me._ "

"Then we've even."

"Yeah." Morro heard the hum of a portal, and glanced over his shoulder to see Bansha vanish into the blue void. "Bansha's gone."

"I hope she can pull it off." Lydia murmured.

"Bansha's the toughest person I've ever met. I'm sure she'll manage."

"I hope so. Otherwise, we're… well, we're screwed."

"Yeah, we really are." Morro sighed, leaning back on his free hand. "Lydia?"

"Hmm?"

"What _did_ your mom say to you?"

"Later, Morro."

"But why not now?"

" _Later_ , Morro."

* * *

 **~FFF**


	53. The Main Character Gets to Do Something

**I can't believe this story is almost over**

 **also y'all remember that animation I mentioned? if y'all wanna see it I could try to link it or something**

 **Review replies:**

 **Candaru: I don't know how much % of earth is actually water bansha is just lying**

 **MarbleBird: YEET**

 **SpottedFrost: maybe so**

 **Ebony: Read Candaru's reply**

 **NinjagoPotterWarriorsFan: Mood**

 **KitKat: Thank you :)**

 **Guest: YASS**

* * *

Bansha nervously tucked a strand of white hair behind her ear, watching as the portal in front of them grew steadily more stable. The Preeminent hovered about thirty feet away from the swirling void, her rhythmic pulsing being the only sound in the huge park at Ninjago city's center. Thousands of ghosts stood behind her, none of them making a sound. Undoubtedly due to a specific command, as there was no way the raucous bunch could stay this quiet on any other occasion.

Careful to keep her mental shield up, Bansha wondered if Ninjago would return to normal once the Preeminent was gone. She wasn't sure if 'cursed' was an actual state for it to be in, or simply the description of the Preeminent's presence. But, then again, if a Realm was only cursed as long as she was in it, she would have to move constantly between Realms to keep control. Highly inefficient.

Bansha wished she could read the Preeminent's mind. It would be fascinating to see what went on inside her head. Unfortunately, the Preeminent also had a shield up, which prevented her from getting even a glimpse inside her head. It was rather unsettling, since with anyone else it was easy to tell what they thought of her. Then again, the Preeminent probably thought the same about her.

Finally, the portal became stable enough for the Preeminent to cross through, and the huge creature began to slowly float towards it. Bansha knew that if she had a heart, it would be pounding. Was this actually going to work? As she watched in anticipation, the Preeminent continued into the swirling void, her tentacles starting to pass through.

Then the world vanished.

Bansha found herself in a black void, and stumbled back in alarm. The Preeminent was there as well, stopping abruptly at the sight of the blackness. A horrible, consuming emptiness gripped Bansha, and she crumpled to the ground with a choked gasp. Her ears were ringing, and her heart was pounding. The- what? Bansha looked down at her hands to see pale, human flesh. What was happening?!

Ninjago reappeared.

Bansha immediately clamped her hands over her ears as a deafening scream sounded, but it did nothing. It was the Preeminent. Clenching her teeth, Bansha looked up to see the Preeminent's army flooding through the portal. Oh _no_. They must have assumed she had passed through, and taken their cue to enter.

Stumbling to her feet, Bansha snatched the Realm Crystal from where it lay in front of her, closing the huge portal. Any moment now, the Preeminent was going to realize that the ghosts that should be on Earth were in the Cursed Realm, and she would turn on her. Creating a smaller portal, Bansha fled back into the Underworld.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

Morro looked up at the hum of a portal, and was surprised to see Bansha stumble through, falling to her knees as the portal closed behind her.

"Bansha!" He exclaimed as she ripped off her mask, her hair billowing around her head as she threw it to the ground. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"I failed. Something- something happened." Bansha pressed her hands against her face. "I- I was sent- somewhere. No warning. The Preeminent and I… and when- when we came back, the ghosts were going through the portal. She knows." Bansha shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Cole spoke up. "That sounds like something that happened to us."

"It happened to me too." Morro added. "Lydia said the timeline is trying to fix itself- I was sent to the Departed Realm, was that where you went?" The sorceress shook her head.

"I don't know. It was black, nothing but black. And I felt horribly _empty_ , like something had sucked out my soul." Morro shook his head.

"That's nothing like what happened to me. Lydia, do you have any idea what…" He trailed off as he looked at the brunette, who was pale as she stared at Bansha in horror.

"That sounds like…" she whispered, but never finished, shaking her head. "Morro, help me up. I need to go to Ninjago."

"What? No!" Morro pushed her off as she grabbed onto his arm and tried to push herself up. "That's a terrible idea! The Preeminent's going to be _furious_ , I'm not taking you into that!

"But I have to talk to her! I need to fix this!"

"What makes you think that talking to her will do anything?"

"It worked on you, didn't it?" She threw her hands up in the air.

"Yes, but that's because I care about you!"

"So does she!"

"The Preeminent doesn't care about anyone!"

"Then why was she so upset when I yelled at her?" Morro stopped.

"That's impossible. She's _never_ upset."

"Well, she was! She's not evil, she's just lonely and starving. I made friends with her, I can talk to her! Maybe I can stop this!" Morro hesitated.

"She… did tell me she had taken a liking to you." He sighed. "Remember when _you_ were trying to convince _me_ she was evil, not the other way around?" Lydia cracked a smile.

"A bit."

"Well… you've won both arguments, so… ugh, fine. I know for a fact that you can be very convincing."

"Thank you." Bansha looked up at the pair.

"Lydia, don't you dare. She'll kill you."

"Well, if I don't, I'll eventually be hunted down and cursed anyway. Might as well get it over with!"

"Stupid girl." Bansha muttered. "Fine. Get yourself killed." She tossed the Realm Crystal towards them, and Morro caught it.

"This had better work." He sighed, then stood, hauling Lydia upright and forming a portal.

"I can't guarantee anything. But I'll try." Lydia wrapped her arms around one of his, and he lead her into the portal.

Ninjago City was chaos.

The moment Morro stepped out of the portal, his knees buckled and he nearly fell at the sheer force of the Preeminent's rage. He heard nothing, so if she was speaking it wasn't to him, but he could feel her anger thick in the air, like fog. Even Lydia looked like she was affected, her grip tightening on his arm and her teeth clenched.

The Preeminent herself floated about fifty feet off the ground in the center of the park, very still amongst her ghosts running every which way in their confusion. If he didn't feel her anger pressing against him, he might think she was calm. Unfortunately, he knew better.

All he wanted to do was escape back to the Underworld, but he knew it was too late as Lydia took a breath and yelled,

" _KAREN!_ " A few of the ghosts stopped to look at her, but for a few moments it looked like the Preeminent hadn't heard. Finally, the park quieted, and Morro realized the ghosts were stopping to look at them. Then they started to approach, and Morro clutched the Realm Crystal tighter, taking a step back.

"KAREN, STOP!" Lydia yelled. "I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!"

 _"Why?"_ Morro winced at the Preeminent's loud voice in his head. _"You yell at me and abandon me, and now you expect me to listen?"_

"I know I was a jerk to you, and I'm sorry. I wasn't even really mad at you, I was just seeing if I could fool you. I was going to tell you and apologize when you came back, but Bansha took me away."

 _"You let her."_

"I was just worried about Morro. I'm sorry." Lydia bowed her head a bit, and the Preeminent was silent. Finally, she turned to Morro.

 _"And you."_ He flinched, but Lydia didn't appear to have heard her. _"Why are you fighting this? If Lydia is cursed, you will be free to be together."_ He… hadn't thought of that. Still, he straightened up, tightening his arm around her.

"Because some things are more important." He replied aloud. Besides, she would hate him for it if he helped the Preeminent curse her just so they could be together, so it wouldn't work anyway. Lydia gave him a quizzical look, but didn't ask.

 _"You do not care about me. You only want me out of Ninjago."_ Lydia stiffened. She was talking to her again.

"That's not true. I do care about you. And I can help you."

 _"And why should I trust you after you tricked me?"_ Lydia hesitated. _"And even if you are telling the truth, how could you_ possibly _presume to help me? Nothing you can do will prevent me from having to consume souls to survive!"_

"I don't know! But I know I can save you!"

 _"And how do you know that?"_

"Because I've saved everyone else!" Lydia threw her hands up in the air to illustrate. I may have ruined everything, but look at all the people I've saved! I saved Morro, I saved Cole, I saved Garmadon, I saved _all the ghosts_ and _all the djinns._

"Somehow, I've saved everyone, whether through luck, or fate, or destiny, I don't know. But somehow, I _know_ I can save you too. And if you don't believe me…" Lydia straightened, lifting her chin. "Curse me and kill me. Read my thoughts and memories. I'll prove I care about you as much as I do Ninjago." Morro stared at Lydia in shock as the Preeminent was silent, tightening his arms around her. Was she… was she serious? Would she really let the Preeminent kill her? Then again, if she decided to, there wasn't much Lydia could do to stop it.

His master was silent for a long time, and he loosened his death grip on Lydia's arm as it appeared she wasn't going to go through with it.

 _"Very well."_ Then, before he could react, a tentacle ripped her out of his grasp, lifting her up in the air and hurling her against a building.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

Lydia opened her eyes to see green hands.

"Well, okay, unexpected." She commented aloud. "Usually when I do a jester bait it's declined. Not this time."

" _Lydia!_ " Pounding footsteps caught her attention, and she looked up to see Morro skidding to a stop next to her. Immediately, he dropped to his knees, throwing his arms around her. A bit dazed from her, um, death, Lydia wrapped her arms around him back. He was warm. Had he always been warm? "Don't _do_ that!" He ordered, pulling away. "You nearly gave me a heart attack! You _would_ have if I had a heart!" Lydia blinked.

"I can't tell if you're saying you're unfeeling, or that you literally don't have a heart."

"Literally don't have a heart." He pulled her close again. "Lydia, why would you do that?" He whispered. "Now you're stuck like me. _Forever_."

"Is it really that bad?"

"Yes, it is! Being a ghost-"

"Yeah, I know." She interrupted. "But there is _one_ way to turn someone back from a ghost."

"Wh- there is?"

"Yes. Help me up." Carefully, Morro lifted her to her feet. "Hey, my leg's not broken anymore!" But she couldn't feel the ground under her feat, so she clung to Morro, the only thing she could feel. Looking up, Lydia saw the Preeminent slowly floating towards them, stopping about twenty feet away.

"Now you know that I'm telling the truth." Lydia addressed her, straightening up as well as she could. "Do you believe me when I say I can save you?" Karen was silent for a long time. Finally, she spoke.

 _"Yes."_

"Then go back to the Cursed Realm. Within the day, I promise, I can help you." Another long silence.

 _"Very well."_ Next to her, Morro's mouth dropped open. _"Make the portal."_

"Morro, you have to do it. I don't know how." The ghost boy stared at Lydia blankly for a few moments before blinking and looking down.

"I… dropped it." A tentacle dropped the glowing artifact towards him, and he caught it. "Okay." Lifting it, he summoned a glowing portal. "It will take some time to stabilize…" He trailed off, looking up at Karen. "You're really going to do this?"

 _"Yes."_

"But- but why?"

 _"I can see your girlfriend's thoughts. I believe her when she says she can save me."_ Morro slowly turned to look at Lydia.

"You must have a **** of a plan."

"Language. And I do."

"What could possibly-"

"You'll see."

It was about ten minutes before the portal was stable enough, and then the Preeminent crossed back over to the Cursed Realm, Morro staring after her incredulously the entire time. Once she was through, Morro closed the portal and turned to look at Lydia.

"Well… somehow, you pulled it off." He shrugged. "Now what's your brilliant plan?"

"First, I need that." She took the crystal from him, silently thanking God that she didn't go through it.

"Okay." Morro raised an eyebrow. "Where are we going?" Lydia turned a bit, one arm still wrapped around his shoulders so she could stand, and created a portal a few feet away.

"Djinnjago."

* * *

 **Bansha:**

 **Lydia:**

 **Bansha:**

 **Lydia:**

 **Bansha:**

 **Lydia: don't say i-**

 **Bansha: I told you so**

 **~FFF**


	54. We Still Have Three Wishes!

**Can you believe this story is almost over  
**

 **Review replies:**

 **Candaru: "mary sue but not mary sue" I wish I knew what this meant**

 **Tex: She still loves Lloyd (platonically), they'll work something out.**

 **KitKat: Lydia's? that's because she's so sneaky... fuhuhuhu...**

 **RandomDragon: Various smart things**

 **Ebony: Don't worry, she has a Plan**

 **Spottedfrost: She knows Exactly what she's doing. Trust me. It's all going according to plan.**

 **MarbleBird: DJINNJAGO**

* * *

Several deadly-looking weapons were brandished at Lydia the moment she stepped out of the portal and into Djinnjago.

"Hello kind sirs." She greeted the owners of said weapons, about six djinns in elaborate gold armor, as Morro stepped through behind her and immediately jumped back in alarm. "Or ma'ams. It's a bit hard to tell with the armor."

"State your name and business!" One of the guards yelled.

"Hi. I'm Lydia." She waved. "And I'm here to see your king."

"Lydia," Morro hissed. "Where are we? Who are these people?"

"These are the djinns, we're in Djinnjago. Djinns can teleport, have four arms, and are nearly unkillable. They also grant wishes!"

"Um… aren't you worried they'll just kill us?"

"I have faith in them."

"Why?"

"I just do."

"That's comforting."

"What is your business with the king?!" Another guard demanded.

"He seems the most reasonable out of all y'all." She gestured vaguely about. "Can we just talk to him? You can threaten us with those the whole way if you want, we're not really a threat." The guards ignored her, muttering to each other for a few moments.

"Come with us!" One barked at last.

"Are we going to the king or not? I'm kind of on a deadline."

"Yes, we're going to the king. Now move!"

"Polite sort of chaps." Lydia muttered, but okayed, clinging to Morro's arm to keep her balance as the guards lead them towards a large building with huge pillars. She tripped over her own feet twice on the way there – not having any feeling in her feet was a _huge_ pain – but Morro caught her both times so she didn't fall.

The large building, was, apparently, the king's home. There was a lot of dramatic decoration, mostly gold in one form or another. Huge statues of presumably former kings lined the entry hallway, and golden chandeliers hung from the high ceiling. Apparently the djinn king was a big fan of the whole orange/yellow color scheme.

After walking down the hall for about ten minutes – that hallway was really stupidly long – they arrived at a set of huge doors, which undoubtedly lead to the King's throne room. Four of the guards stayed behind to guard them, while the other two went inside, presumably to talk to the king. As they waited, Morro shifted from foot to foot nervously.

"I really don't like this." He muttered.

"Don't worry, I have a vague idea of what I'm doing." Lydia assured him.

"Still not comforting." Before she could respond, the throne room doors opened, and one of the guards stepped out. He grunted and waved them inside, and the two ghosts found themselves herded into the throne room.

The throne room was even more magnificent than the rest of the castle. Gold was _everywhere_. The floor was paved with it, the windows were lined with it, even the brown carpet that ran down the center of the room seemed to have threads of gold woven into it. It took a few moments for Lydia to tear her eyes away from the glittering room, but when she did she noticed a figure with a long, white beard hovering at the other end of the room, in front of a gold throne. He appeared to be waiting for them, so she started walking again, the pack of guards shadowing them as she and Morro crossed the huge room.

"Greetings, visitors from the Cursed Realm." The figure, undoubtedly the king, called as they got close.

"Hi." Lydia called back. "Sorry I can't address you properly, I don't know proper djinn etiquette for speaking with royalty."

"Don't trouble yourself, my dear. I assume you have a message for me from your master?"

"Um… no, actually. And technically I'm not from the Cursed Realm. I just became a ghost twenty minutes ago." The king raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I'm actually here to make some wishes."

"Interesting." The king sat back on his throne. "Then go ahead."

"First, I need to gloat." Morro gave her a side-eyed look. "In the past month, I've saved the lives of you and every other occupant of this Realm."

"And how did you manage that?" The king didn't seem very impressed.

"I was granted knowledge of the future. In the original timeline, the Cursed Realm was destroyed, and this Realm fell along with it. I didn't like that ending, so I stopped it."

"Prove it."

"Well, I mean…" Lydia trailed off. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"Tell me something only someone who knows the future would know." The brunette blinked.

"Well… if I remember correctly, your name is Kahnjikahn." The king nodded.

"Correct, but you could have easily gotten that from the Preeminent."

"Could not. She hardly tells me anything." Lydia paused. "Wait, you know the Preeminent personally?" She kept going before he had a chance to answer. "Never mind, I'm on a deadline. You have a son, his name is Nadakhan. He's currently trapped in a teapot, in… Stiix, I think. He and you had a fight or something and he went to Ninjago to be a pirate, eventually being defeated and trapped by Captain Soto."

"All correct as far as I know." Morro slowly raised his hand.

"I don't know if it means anything, but, I can vouch for her. She knows _way_ too much to be an ordinary kid. Ruined some of my best-laid plans." He muttered. She patted his arm.

"Sorry."

"Regrettably, your word means nothing, as the two of you are clearly romantically involved." The king remarked. Morro and Lydia exchanged glances.

"…'clearly', how?" Morro asked after a moment.

"She hasn't let go of you since you came into view, despite her obviously improving balance, and your movements are especially careful and tender. And you look far too different to be siblings." The ghost boy sighed, shaking his head.

"And we're obvious again."

"Shame." Lydia shook her head with him. "Anyway, I'm having a hard time giving you proof because I mostly know the events of Ninjago. I know very little of events you will have heard of."

"What you have said is enough. I believe you." Kahnjikahn stood again, approaching them. When he got about five feet away, he stopped and gave her a small bow. "I thank you for saving the lives of my subjects and myself. I owe you a great debt."

"Well, I need a favor from you. Do one- er, do three things for me, and we'll call it even?" The king straightened up.

"And what would those be, milady?"

"I need to make three wishes, and I would really appreciate it if you didn't twist them. Can you do that for me?" The king paused, then nodded.

"Very well. Go ahead." Lydia took a deep breath, running her wishes through her head, then began.

"For my first wish, I wish that Morro and I would both be turned back human, with no harm or ill effects to either of us. Just like we were never ghosts. Except we keep all our memories and stuff. The change will be only physical. And it should happen immediately." Kahnjikahn raised an eyebrow.

"Why ask me not to twist your wishes if you're going to go into so much detail anyway?"

"No offense, but I haven't had very good experiences with djinns." Kahnjikahn grimaced.

"You've met my son."

"Not personally. But I've seen the havoc he can wreak." The king shook his head.

"Fair enough. Your wish is yours to keep." He snapped his fingers, and Lydia staggered backwards at the sudden rush of senses. She could smell exotic incense in the air, and the already brilliant throne room was now so blindingly bright that she had to shield her eyes in order to see anything at all.

"L-Lydia?" Morro sounded alarmed. "Is this normal?"

"Is what normal?" She turned to look at him, and gasped as her eyes adjusted.

He was alive.

Morro stared down at his hands, green eyes shining from his pale-tan face. His form was no longer slightly blurred, and she couldn't see through him. He was solid. _Real._

"You're alive!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck and half-tackling him. "I told you there was a way!"

"And _you're_ alive." He pointed out with a grin, squeezing her tight.

"It's weirder with you! I've been a ghost for half an hour! You've been dead for like fifty years!"

"Yes, but I have _never_ seen someone who was turned into a ghost turn back human less than an hour later. _That's_ weird."

"While this is touching," Kahnjikahn interjected. "I believe you made a comment implying you are pressed for time." Lydia pulled away from Morro, but didn't let go of his arm.

"Right. Good point. Um, for my second wish, I wish the Preeminent would become a normal human." Morro blinked in surprise. "No ill effects because of it. She loses her mind reading and telepathy, and her link to the ghosts. She no longer has to consume souls to live. She's a normal woman, but she keeps her personality and memories. This will take effect immediately." The king nodded.

"Your wish is yours to keep." Lydia hesitated, then sighed.

"I guess it will be hard to tell if it worked or not right away." Morro nodded. "As for my third wish, I wish that Ninjago would be un-cursed, and every person who was turned into a ghost in the past week – excluding me – would be returned to where they were when they were cursed, human, with no harm or ill effects from their transformation back."

"Your wish is yours to keep." The king gave her another small bow. "We are even?"

"We're even." Lydia confirmed. "Thank you so much, um… your majesty?"

"You may call me Kahnjikahn."

"Thank you, Kahnjikahn. It really means a lot to me."

"Of course. Thank _you_ for saving our Realm." Lydia beamed, grabbing Morro's hand.

"I'll try to come back and visit sometime. Good luck, Kahnjikahn." The king nodded, then turned to return to his throne. "Morro, let's go. We need to find Karen. And, I don't know, maybe then we can go visit Cloud Kingdom, see what on Earth they're doing with my life."

The dizziness hit her like a truck.

Lydia stumbled sideways, losing her grip on Morro and crumpling to the ground. She heard Morro cry out in alarm as the Realm Crystal slipped from her grasp, skittering across the floor.

"What did you _do?!_ " She heard Morro shout.

"This is not my doing!" Kahnjikahn tried to defend himself. Lydia heard pounding footsteps, then hands lifted her head onto Morro's lap.

"Lydia, what's wrong? Talk to me!" He pleaded. She opened her moth to speak, to tell him she was just dizzy, but she couldn't get the words out. She was too sleepy…

Everything faded away.

OhTheThingsWeCouldDo

"Lydia! Get up!" Lydia's eyes shot open to see a very familiar sight: that of her sister's bunk above her. Eyes wide, she rolled on her side to see her mother, her face annoyed as she stood in the doorway with one hand on her hip. "It's 9:45! Come downstairs!" With that, she walked off. Slowly, Lydia sat up, eyes flitting around the cluttered room. Morning light flooded through the thin curtains, and the clock read '9:46'. It took her a full minute to muster the ability to speak, and when she did, her voice cracked.

"No."

* * *

 **Hmm.**

 **~FFF**


	55. Happily Ever After?

**y'all... really reacted really strongly last chapter. Like, some of you I expected it but others just really caught me off guard**

 **review replies:**

 **Kairocksrainbow: You... don't review on the entire fic up to this point, and then review "good stuff" on the chapter where I wake up and it's all a dream. Wow.**

 **Spottedfrost: Maybe so**

 **Candaru: Please do not harm me**

 **Ebony: I mean I have plenty detailed dreams so idk**

 **MarbleBird: It's not the end yikes guys come on I wouldn't just end it like that**

 **NinjagoPotterWarriors etc. etc.: Don't worry. Not the end.**

 **peachyheart: NOT THE END DW**

 **RandomDragon: It's been wacky all along.**

 **Plumcide: Nope.**

 **Guest: same**

* * *

It couldn't have been a dream. But it was.

Lydia had, apparently, just forgotten the events of the past six months. Her family had shown no signs of noticing her missing, casually referring to past events in front of her enough that she could piece together what 'she' had done recently. Apparently, among other things, she had recently applied for a job at a local fast-food place, but she was turned down, and, over the next two weeks, both her parents kept pausing to assure her that it was nothing to be discouraged about, it was just a learning experience.

None of her readers or followers had noticed her missing either. Scrolling down her blog, she found dozens of posts she hadn't written… except she obviously had. They even sounded like her. There was also thousands of words of fanfiction she had apparently written, which she would ordinarily be overjoyed about – fanfiction she didn't have to write! – but even that brought her no enjoyment. Not with everything she'd lost.

The only one who noticed her missing, evidently, was Cam.

Lydia sat slumped in front of her computer, mindlessly scrolling through pages of reviews for things 'she' had written. Even reviews couldn't make her feel better about all of this. Trying to rationalize what she had seen and done with what everyone else thought, Lydia read her last conversation with Cam once more.

 _: Cam: Lydia, why are you avoiding me? You continue to be active on other websites, why aren't you talking to me?_

 _: You: im so, so sorry. i don't know what happened._

 _: Cam: It's obvious what happened, you were avoiding me. Why? That's all I want to know._

 _: You: i wasn't avoiding you. i don't understand why you don't remember.  
: You: everyone else remembers._

 _: Cam: Remembers what?_

 _: You: ive been in another dimension for months. my family, my friends, everyone else acts like i was never gone. i don't understand._

 _: Cam: I just want the truth. I won't be mad._

 _: You: i AM telling the truth_

 _: Cam: Lydia, it's becoming increasingly obvious that I care about this relationship far more than you. For that reason, I'm afraid I must cut it off._

 _: You: cam, you don't get it, im telling you all i know!_

 _: Cam: I'm sorry, Lydia._

 _: This user can no longer receive messages_

She couldn't really say she was upset. If she still had Morro, she would even be glad at this turn of events. She could date him without worrying about Cam's reaction. But he wasn't real, as it turned out.

"Lydia!" Lydia's head jerked up at her name being called, and sat up straight as her mom poked her head through the doorway. "There's a boy at the door. He says you lost something and he's here to return it." Lydia frowned. The only thing she'd lost recently was Cam's respect for her. Then again, she could have lost all sorts of things while she… wasn't here.

"Okay." Locking her computer, she stood, slowly making her way through the house and down the entry hall. The big door was closed, and as she pulled it open she wondered absently if it was someone she knew returning something.

Morro was standing on the front porch.

Lydia stood, staring at him, frozen, for nearly half a minute before he rolled his eyes, yelling through the door,

"It's _me_ , dork. Get out here." Hearing his voice made her snap out of her confused stupor, and tears welled up in her eyes as she shoved the door open and threw herself into his arms.

"You w-weren't _real!_ " She sobbed into his shoulder as he squeezed her tight. "You were j-just a dream you- you-"

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Morro rubbed her back as she cried, his other arm wrapped around her waist. "I'm real. I'm right here." She tried to speak again, but she was crying too hard. "How long has it been? Since you were brought back here?"

"T-two weeks…"

"I'm so sorry." He pressed her forehead into his shoulder. "It took me days to find the Preeminent, I didn't mean to leave you this long."

"K-Karen?" Lydia sniffled, rubbing her sleeve across her face. "I-is she okay? Did the wish work?"

"Ask her yourself." Morro gestured to his right, and Lydia lifted her head from his shoulder, staring in the direction he pointed. Standing on the far side of the porch, petting a cat who was rubbing against her ankles, was a young woman with beautiful, shimmering black hair that cascaded down her back. Noting Lydia's eyes on her, she turned and gave her a shy smile. For a moment, Lydia just stared. Then she ventured,

"Karen?" The woman waved, and Morro explained,

"She can't talk. We don't know if it's because she never learned how, or if she's physically incapable of talking. Either way, the wish worked. She's a normal person now." Lydia pressed her hands against her face.

"I-it worked." She whispered. "So- so everything turned out fine?"

"Yes. Ninjago returned to normal, and all the innocents the Preeminent-" He coughed. " _Karen_ cursed, have been changed back. You saved everyone, Lydia." Lydia covered her eyes with her hands as more tears threatened to spill. Even after she ruined _everything_ , she still saved Ninjago.

A warm body bumped into her and arms wrapped around her, and Lydia opened her eyes in surprise to see Karen giving her a tight hug. The brunette hugged her back, grinning even as the tears began to fall.

"You have such pretty hair." She whispered. Karen gave her a squeeze in response. After a few moments, the older girl let go, and Lydia rubbed her eyes on her sleeve, trying to stop crying.

"W-what about the ninja? Do they know what happened to me?"

"Well, _we_ didn't know what happened to you at first. You just… vanished. So after I found the Pr- Karen, we went up to Cloud Kingdom to get answers. And you know what we found?" Lydia raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"We found the reason all this happened." He grinned. "You, Lydia, were the main character in someone's cheesy love story." The brunette blinked.

"What."

"Someone in Cloud Kingdom was bored one day, so she decided to mess with your life. She sent you to Ninjago and watched what happened. Apparently you got away from her, and when you suggested going up to Cloud Kingdom, she panicked and sent you home." Lydia blinked.

"Those guys have _way_ too much power."

"Agreed."

"Was it her that was breaking the timeline?"

"…sort of. Your actions conflicted with the already written history, so the universe was glitching. But, they fixed it when it was revealed what she was doing. None of that should happen anymore." Lydia shook her head.

"It seems I got a taste of my own medicine."

"Apparently so."

"How are you holding up, both of you? Adjusting to being human?" She gave Morro a side-eyed look. "Crashed into any walls?"

"No." He responded quickly, but Karen nodded. "Once." he amended. Karen held up two fingers. "Fine, twice. Geez." Lydia rolled her eyes.

"Don't do that."

"Oh, really?" Morro rolled his eyes back.

"Yes." Neither of them spoke for a few moments. "So… do you and Karen have a plan?" Lydia asked at last. Morro raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are you going to do with your lives? Do you have a place to stay?" The two ex-cursed exchanged glances.

"Well… I doubt we're really welcome in the Cursed Realm anymore. Karen wasn't." The wind master cast a glance at Karen, who pursed her lips.

"Oh." Lydia winced. "Sorry." Karen shrugged. "If you don't have anywhere else, you wanna stay here?" Morro frowned.

"Somehow I don't think your mom would like that idea."

"Good point. Karen, maybe. But not you."

"She didn't like me at all when I was a ghost, now… I don't know. Still hard to say. Especially since we're kind of dating…" He trailed off. "Wait, you have an actual boyfriend, don't you?"

"Not anymore, actually." Lydia grinned. "Cam broke up with me since I didn't talk to him for 6 months. I told him why, but he assumed I was making a dumb excuse and got mad."

"Oh. That was… nice of him." The brunette frowned at Morro's sincere tone.

"He assumed I was lying and ditched me. How is that nice?"

"Well it means that now I can do this." Morro placed a hand on the back of her neck, then pulled her close and kissed her full on the lips. Lydia startled, then leaned into the kiss, wrapping her arms around him and closing her eyes.

It was a few seconds before Morro pulled away, resting his forehead against hers.

"Nothing's standing in the way of us being together now." He said softly.

"My mom will." Lydia remarked dryly. "And my dad is going to kill you. And then probably me. But, you're right. Nothing _really_ pressing, like you being _dead_." Morro chuckled.

"Yeah. Nothing like that." He pulled her close and kissed her again, and for a moment she was able to just lose herself in his arms. For a moment, she didn't have to worry about the fate of the universe, or about her parents, or about anything. Everything was perfect.

Then Karen tapped her on the shoulder, and Lydia turned around to see her mom gaping at her from behind the glass door. Lydia sighed.

" _This_ is going to be a long lecture."

The End

* * *

 **For clarification, this is not the end.**

 **I'm probably going to write wayyyyyy more content for this universe, there's no way I could just leave these dorks alone. So much POTENTIAL! However, this content will ONLY be available to those of you who donate to m p-a-t-r-e-o-n! (fanfiction hates that word) *laugh track***

 **...or, alternatively, for those of you who are poor, you can just write sad faces in a review and ask me to post them and I probably will.**

 **Anyway! I hope you enjoyed this fic. Goodbye.**

 **~FFF**


	56. Epilogue

"You know what would be _really_ funny?" Morro remarked, lounging on the top bunk of Lydia's bunk bed as his girlfriend scribbled on a clipboard below him.

"Hmm?" She hummed absently.

"If instead of just _telling_ your friends what happened to you, how about you _write_ about it instead, and post it as a story, then, in the _very_ last chapter, reveal that it actually happened. Like, put this conversation in it." Lydia blinked, looking up at him.

"That's… a really good idea. I'm gonna do that."

"Thanks. Can I read your fics now?"

"No you can't."


	57. Note

**The Extra Content is now up in a new story, titled "Oh the Things we could Do Oneshots"!**

 **~FFF**


End file.
